


Idle Chit Chat

by UnfoundedIdeas



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Cryptozoology talk, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Getting to Know Each Other, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, It's not a date, Knitting, Late Night Conversations, Mirage | Elliott Witt & Wraith | Renee Blasey Friendship, Not Beta Read, Pre-Relationship, Swearing, Temporary Character Death, Touch-Starved Wraith, Wattson is a dinosaur nerd, asexual Wraith | Renee Blasey, going to breakfast, hand holding, kind of anti-caustic, wraith is weird
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25209442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnfoundedIdeas/pseuds/UnfoundedIdeas
Summary: It's late, Natalie can't sleep now and so takes a trip to the common kitchen and meets an unexpected person.
Relationships: Mirage | Elliott Witt & Wraith | Renee Blasey, Wattson | Natalie Paquette & Wraith | Renee Blasey
Comments: 12
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea that popped into my head that I wanted to get down based on some HCs. 
> 
> I always HC that Wraith is really weird in person. She has no memory of cultural normals and was locked in a mental asylum for years. Also, she has voices in her head and can cross dimensions, that'll make you a bit abnormal. 
> 
> Also, Wattson is a paleo-nerd and no one can change my mind.

Every hour, Natalie's watched beeped. It was another simple thing that helped her keep her life ordered, a way for her to just be more aware of the passing of time. When it beeped this time, she looked down only with disappointment. It was three am and she'd made no progress in five beeps. The table was covered in the dismantled components of her pylon all arranged in an exploded version of its internals. Capacitors, resistors, servos, dozens of meters of cable, all forming a roadmap only she could follow. The point of it was to find where the device was shorting out every twenty-six point four-five seconds, a minor bug but one still deserving of squashing. However, no divine inspiration had come, she'd just stared blankly at electrical components for five hours, just like she and Papa used to do. At least when he was around, she could fall asleep on his shoulder, he might braid her hair while she worked, or they'd just make idle chit chat about nothing. 

"I'm sorry, Papa, I don't understand it." She whispered. Letting him down was devastating, even if he always assured he still loved her. Lately, she'd done that a lot. He'd been gone for two months, and since then, she hadn't solved a single equation or successfully addressed a single issue with her gear. The closest she had to an accomplishment was a top-five finish in her new endeavor, the Apex Games. The other problem was now sleep was an impossibility. Her mind was too busy swimming with ideas and frustrations to quiet. She further messed her short blonde hair and scratched the back of her neck, time for a break. 

Natalie returned all her tools to their proper homes and took care that each was still in good order. The pylon easily slotted back together and it too was placed where it lived. Her prosthetic was traded for her every day wear one. The arm used for work was far finer in control than even the real thing and was loaded with sensors for electrical flow and RF frequencies. If it wasn't so intensive on battery and so pricey, she would have used it constantly. With a series of clicks, feeling returned to her lower arm, and a few stretches later, it was working flawlessly. 

For luck and for confidence, she patted the worn and faded Nessie on her nightstand before grabbing a large sweater and leaving her room. Not far from her was a communal kitchen, almost always abandoned this time of day, night? She wasn't sure where the barrier was that arbitrarily divided the two. Sometimes she'd find her fellow Legends there in a post-hookup afterglow, or in staggering drunkenness. The latter she'd help home, the former she just pretended not to notice. Even in these states, she still enjoyed their company. Ajay, Elliot, even Anita could be great to just bounce ideas off of. 

But as she rounded the corner to the hall that contained the kitchen, she saw only the stove light was on. That was fine too, silence could help her focus just as well as small talk. Tea would do nicely. In one of the cabinets, she had a tub of teabags. Anyone was free to use it and she made sure the keep it stocked with variety. There was a kettle on the stove, though whoever last used it left the stove on, probably boiled off by now. Natalie reached for the knob.

"Leave it."

A wispy voice made her nearly jump out of her skin and she literally leaped into the air with a yelp of shock. She felt her heart skip a beat or several before she composed herself. When her slow turn around ended, all she could see were two faint disks of glowing turquoise that seemed to shimmer in the darkness; eyes. But they didn't seem to illuminate whatever face they were presumably attached to. Natalie swore she knew that voice, however.

"Right lights." Said the same voice. For a moment the newfound light was blinding. But as her eyes adjusted, she saw a small, pale woman sitting in the corner of the kitchen at the single small table. It clicked. 

Wraith. The only other time Natalie had seen her was through a sniper scope a moment before she put a bullet through her chest and earned a round of free drinks. Wraith wasn't, well she wasn't loved by most. In fact it was her efficacy and her aloofness that lead many to flat out dislike her. Only a few, mostly Path and Elliot, had any sympathy for her and even they knew she was difficult. The strange woman was closed off to the world, cold, unfeeling, and sometimes downright creepy. She lurked in shadows and rarely left her room. To most, she was just what her name suggested, a ghost. Natalie herself didn't have an opinion of Wraith just yet, her Papa had always taught her to give people a chance, they often would surprise you.

"Oh, _mon dieu_! Ms. Wraith you started me." Natalie said with a laugh, trying to cut through some of the silent tension in the air. 

"I forgot the lights were off, I just thought you were ignoring me." Her voice betrayed no emotion, it only served as a hollow statement of fact. Natalie was bad at understanding how people were feeling regardless, Wraith's flat voice wouldn't help at all.

The fact she hadn't noticed the near pitch darkness started a domino chain of thoughts in Natalie's mind. No one really knew much of anything about Wraith. Her real name was a total unknown (Bloodhound seemed to imply that Blóðhundr _was_ their real name) and her abilities had fascinated Natalie since she'd first seen Wraith in a match. Watching her tear portals, dip out of reality itself, and react to events before they even happened put even Natalie's knowledge of theoretical sciences to the test. But she'd revealed next to nothing about how she did what she did or even exactly what it was she did. 

"Ah yes, well good evening Ms. Wraith! I wouldn't ignore you unless you want to be left alone." Natalie said with her characteristic smile. She shared it with everyone, her Papa always told her she could brighten people's days with it. Natalie tried to be casual and lean back against the stove, but thankfully she realized that was a good way to get burned. Instead, she hopped up on to the counter and let her slipper clad feet dangle above the floor. 

"Morning I suppose..." Wraith corrected and considered. "Or evening, not sure where it flips over. You're up late, that's unusual. Everything ok?" How did she know Natalie wasn't usually out this late? Did she keep tabs on the other Legends for an advantage? 

"I'm always up, I've never seen you around." Wraith answered her mental question and returned to her book, a thick volume with noticeably tiny print. Natalie could make out notes scrawled in equally tiny script that filled most of the margins, hundreds of stick notes protruded from the well-worn pages.

"I didn't say anything." Natalie murmured and started to play with the hem of her shirt. 

"You didn't have to." Wraith said like it explained something. She brushed some of her unkept midnight hair from her face, exposing her still faintly glowing eyes. Natalie noticed she looked different than she had expected. Through the scope, she'd caught only a fleeting glimpse of her, most of her mental image came from the Games's promotional imagery. It was a matter of fact they beautified everyone, Natalie always thought they were very generous around her hips and did a bit too much smoothing on her face, but Wraith was almost hard to recognize. Her exhausted and dark ringed eyes almost made it look like she'd been punched, she had a noticeable slouch, her features were more angular and irregular, they'd heavily cleared up her scarred and discolored skin. This was Wraith, the real Wraith. She was human after all, full of all the flaws and imperfections of everyone else. 

"My water is almost done." Wraith said just as Natalie was about to respond. She took it as a command to move.

On cue, the kettle started to whistle and with a wave of her hand, Wraith tore a small portal in the room. It whispered. Natalie swore she could almost hear voices coming from it as the biting cold it gave off started to suck the warmth from the room. Its presence was unnatural and unsettling. But Wraith reached in like it was just a cabinet and pulled out a cracked and stained coffee mug. With just as much of a casual gesture, the portal flickered and evaporated. Wraith poured the steaming hot water in and fiddled with the stove nob for a moment. She pulled a small plastic baggie from the wooden box labeled "Wraith" in the cabinet, something there was an open pot to claim for the person who dared to open it. The contents turned out to be a mixture of incongruous powders and grains that Wraith dropped into the piping hot cup. Wraith trudged back to her seat and pulled a knife from her pocket. That too was deposited in her mug and used as a stir. 

"Oh, what is that Ms. Wraith? I'm always looking for new health drinks." Natalie's curiosity compelled her to investigate. The strange energy that flowed through the blade's edge did something that turned the water into a swirling mass of inky black with ribbons of deep purple that twisted through it. 

"It's supposed to help with the Void. Salts, crushed vitamin supplements, citrus powder, vanadium oxide, a few lanthanide compounds. You shouldn't drink this crap." Counter to her final statement, Wraith took a swig of it. Again, her face gave no hint of what she was feeling, the drink just went down like regular water. "Wattson, right?" She was buried in her book again.

"Oui! That was rude, I never introduced myself after you surprised me. But yes, I am Wattson, but you can call me Natalie." She extended a hand. Wraith looked at her for a moment, then gripped her fingers only for a brief second. Again, Natalie chose to think of it not as rude, but just another quirk of Wraith, maybe from her upbringing. 

"If it's all the same, I'm going to call you Wattson, it makes things easier in the Arena. You already know me I guess. Still, I'm Wraith. You can drop the Ms." She paused to sigh and sip her strange drink. For a moment she looked up from her book and her eyes locked with Natalie's. There was a sympathy in them that she rarely saw. "I heard about your father Wattson, I'm sorry. I know some of the others went, they mean well, Bloodhound and Che are good people to talk to." Again her voice was direct, but it was laced with a new softness Natalie hadn't expected.

"Thank you, that is very kind Wraith. I'm making some tea, would you like some?" Natalie preferred not to dwell on her Papa lately. She still missed him dearly, but like Wraith had suggested, she'd talked to Blooth and to Ajay at the funeral and both had provided their own form of comfort. Tuesday's lunch always included Ajay and her homemade cakes, and Saturday she and Blooth listened to music for hours without sharing a word. Both were truly therapeutic in their own ways. 

"You can use the water that's on there. I like your bottoms by the way."

Natalie's face flushed bright red, she didn't know Wraith was the type. But she burned even redder when she realized Wraith was talking about her Nessie PJs, not her butt. In an attempt to hide her face, Natalie turned around and busied herself making the tea. There were teas of every flavor and purpose in her tub, ranging from common to obscure teas from remote worlds. For a sleepless night, she preferred Timmeran tea made from the eponymous tree's bark. It was known for its soothing, almost broth-like taste and rich aroma. Gibraltar was her source, his family had several of the trees on their property and often sent him pounds of bark in their "care packages."

"What are you reading Wraith?" Natalie's curiosity got the better of her.

Wraith held up the bland cover; as Natalie suspected, it was a science book: _Mechanisms of Cross-Dimensional Spooky Action at a Distance Through Fold Energy Excited Wyions by Dr. A Singh et al._ Not a volume Natalie was familiar with. Her Papa had mentioned fold and void theories on a few occasions, but always as some fringe science to be avoided. He reasoned that Ronin Titans and even pilots were simply using a cloaking system rather than actually visiting another dimension as claimed. Wraith seemed to be living proof he was wrong. 

"That looks fascinating! I didn't know you were interested in the sciences, are you a scientist Wraith? I am an electrical engineer, but I love all the branches of science." Natalie was giddy at the idea of another scientist in the games. Dr. Caustic was rather intimidating, but Wraith seemed approachable enough. 

"I'm not reading this for pleasure, I want answers." She paused and Natalie could feel her eyes on the back of her head. "This name, Singh, keeps coming up. Your father was employed by the Syndicate, and as far as I can tell, so was Singh. Did he ever mention that name to you?" Wraith asked with genuine curiosity. 

Natalie paused her tea preparations and cycled through years of memories. The work her Papa did for the Syndicate and his exact dealings with them were always concealed from her. When the suited men and their armed guards would visit, Natalie would stay up in her room, only getting muffled fragments of their conversations. Talk of money and deadlines, but never names. 

"Hmmmm, no. I'm afraid not Wraith. I could try to contact Dr. Singh, he may be responsive to a fellow researcher." She suggested.

"He's dead." 

Silence descended on them again while Natalie finished making the tea. Her's was only seeped enough to turn the water a fair green and she always took a dollop of honey for her sensitive tastes. Natalie placed the cup and saucer in front of Wraith with the teabag, some honey, and a spoon on a plate.

"It is rather strong, so I would suggest only a slight steep." 

Wraith took the cup and motioned towards the other seat at her table, which Natalie took. She mouth a thank you and sniffed the bag. There was a crease in her brow like she was suspicious of what Natalie had just given her. Taking out opponents outside the Arena wasn't unheard of, or was Wraith as paranoid as everyone claimed she was?

"Timmeran." She identified. "Wouldn't have guessed. I always took the Fozzah." Wraith said with a tilt of her head. The bag was dropped into the water and she went right back to her book.

So she was the one who liked the Fozzah. Keeping that stocked in her tub was more difficult than most types, surprising given the bitter and sharp taste. Supposedly, Fozzah helped for migraines, another data point in the equation of Wraith. And as she continued to steep her current tea, Natalie realized she liked her's remarkably strong. She also observed Wraith had finished her previous strange beverage. 

"That was a good shot. Didn't even know what hit me until I watched the replays. Don't know why they still write you off." Wraith took her first sip of tea and mumbled it needed more time. By now it resembled the color of moss. 

"You were not an easy target _Mademoiselle fantôme_. I suppose it's because I am just a silly little girl, you are much more scary than I am, not that you are scary, you are very nice Wraith! But when they underestimate me, I have the power." Natalie giggled. There seemed to be no ill will in Wraith's voice if anything she almost seemed amused. 

Wraith sipped her tea, and apparently satisfied with the strength, she discarded the bag. Her nose was back in the book, leaving Natalie to just observe her. More notes were scribbled in the margins and she pulled several further sticky notes from a portal. Between sips of tea, she mumbled to herself, almost in a conversation with no one. Natalie watched her face start to contort, her hands running through her unkempt hair. Fidgets worked their way into her statuelike demeanor, she began to violently jerk her left arm, and her mumbles became whispers that Natalie could pick words from. _Stop, I'm not, don't, please._

Though she tried to fight it, Natalie started to stare. There were always rumors Wraith was just crazy, actual insanity, not like Octane's recklessness. She'd referenced voices before and Anita, who lived next to her, talked about her conversations with no one. Natalie set her tea down and started to back up in her seat. Some kind of energy sparked from Wraith's fingertips to her mug and her eyes were glowing again. She could feel her heart start to beat harder and her palms sweat. 

Wraith pulled her kunai from her mug and slipped her middle finger into the hole. It twirled around with flicks of her wrist, slicing the air with an unnatural hiss. Wraith mouthed something to herself with each revolution. The energy left her hands and her eyes returned to their normal grey. She kept spinning the blade and closed her eyes. Natalie tried to read her lips and picked out "calm". 

"Sorry about that. The Void sometimes...I can't always control it. It's not dangerous to you at least." She looked into the fear in Natalie's eyes and returned a soft dip of her brow. "I promise Natalie, I won't hurt you." There was pain in her voice, the pain of knowing that she was unlikely to be believed. 

But Natalie did believe her. Maybe she was just a naive young girl, yet something in Wraith's voice reached into her and strummed her heartstrings. What sat in front of her wasn't a disturbed and violent woman, but someone who was fundamentally alone. Natalie found herself under the table at the funeral again, terrified and with sharp loneliness stabbing into her heart. At least then, Makoa and Ajay had sat under there with her for an hour. She'd curled up in Makoa's arms while Ajay coaxed her into making puns and talking about electrons. Maybe she could be that for Wraith. 

"It's ok, I'm not scared of you Wraith. You must hear this often, but you have beautiful eyes." Natalie latched on to them as a neutral feature, something hard to interpret as flirting or insincere. It was also the truth. In their natural grey state, her eyes reminded Natalie of the gentle wisps of smoke from her Papa's pipe or the unyielding steel of his old truck. 

Those pretty eyes narrowed at her, suspicious. This time Wraith didn't return to her book a moment later, she closed it and stared at her intently. Natalie feared she's said something wrong, crossed some unseen bridge too far. The moment lengthened but both stood their ground. 

"Thanks. I don't get that a lot, you probably know I don't talk with the others much. It's better that way." This time her voice betrayed a resignation that she tried to mask with a prolonged sip of her tea. Natalie was left fighting for a way to continue the conversation. She wanted to break through to Wraith, find the magical turn of phrase that would make her open up and begin to heal from whatever it was that hurt her. The trouble was, she was never good at that sort of thing. 

"What's with the dinosaurs?" Thankfully, Wraith gave her just what she needed without even knowing it. 

"Oh, it's a common misconception that Nessie is a dinosaur. He is a Plesiosaur. They were reptiles that lived in the oceans at the same time as the dinosaurs, but not the same. Like how there are now whales and elephants." It was a correction she made often and one that often earned immediate disinterest and a scoff. But Wraith shifted her position, leaning in for more. "Nessie was a supposed lake monster in Scotland, a place on Earth. I became interested when I was a girl. Anything paranormal made me want to investigate, I wanted to find the science behind it! Like monsters, and UFOs, and-"

"Ghosts..." Wraith interrupted with exactly what Natalie had planned to say. Yet the hollow way she said it was just as haunting as the word itself. Like she knew something. "Sorry, continue. Something just crossed my mind." She quickly followed up. 

"Well..." Lead into Natalie's entire dissertation on the history of the Loch Ness Monster, Mesozoic reptiles, cryptozoology, and into the general paranormal. Through the talk of Lazarus taxon and misidentified logs, Wraith didn't interject nor make any sign of disinterest. She just looked at Natalie, silently absorbing her energetic ramblings and nodding at key details. The only breaks were when she would sip from her Nessie mug or refill their tea, which did eventually necessitate bathroom breaks. 

"Wait, so these basking sharks just fall apart like that? And then they look like a sea monster?" Wraith asked partway through Natalie's extensive discussion of 'globsters'.

"Oui! It is quite fascinating how something so normal can appear so abnormal. Though the same can be said the other way, when someone takes the time to understand the abnormal, it becomes delightfully normal." Natalie smiled, hoping to get across her double meaning. "Oh _mon Dieu_! It is light out, I am sorry for holding you so long, you must have other things to attend to." A flutter of the curtains had revealed the sun was just beginning to rise over the mountains of Solace. They'd talked for hours.

"This was a lot more fun that what I had planned. Thank you, Natalie, I liked this. I don't have a match tomorrow either, maybe we can have another late night chat tonight?" Wraith suggested with caution.

But Natalie's face light up. This was her way in, her long excitable rants had found the one person not bored or irritated, and against all odds, it was the mysterious and anti-social woman who everyone had told her to not bother with. The same woman she had started to notice was rather pretty and fiercely smart over the past few hours.

"I would like that very much Wraith. Though since it is so early and I do not think I will be sleeping, would you like to get breakfast at my room? I have some yogurts and fruit if that's what you like. I think I have some pancake mix too! That would be so fun, we could make Nessie pancakes just like my Papa and I used to do!" Maybe that was too much to ask of this new acquaintance. After all, she hadn't even visited another Legend yet. 

"As long as they tasted better than actual reptiles." Wraith said and stood. Natalie's relentless enthusiasm had gotten to her.

Positively giddy at her newfound friend and the prospect of pancakes, Natalie practically skipped down the hall to her room, Wraith not far behind. 


	2. A Bite to Eat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natalie has continued to peck at Wraith's armor and has seen some progress in quick conversations when she catches Wraith alone. However, she takes a more drastic one night towards finding a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, three months to write 4k words, go me! Obviously, consistent upload schedules are not my strong suit nor is simultaneously working two projects (ie blame kinktober). 
> 
> Also, if anyone out there is interested in beta reading I'm looking for some in-depth critique. Not sure how that all works with AO3, so anyone who can provide some guidance, I'd appreciate that.

A subtle buzz captured Wraith’s attention away from the maintenance she was doing on her bracer. She shuffled over to her phone perplexed. Everything except her messages and calls was muted, and that was only because the Syndicate required she be reachable. No one texted her because no one had her number, except Elliot, Path, and Natalie. She gripped her forehead. If this was Elliot drunk texting her again she might actually kill him this time. Thankfully for him, it was Natalie. Wraith opened the message.

 _Wattson: Bonjour mon ami!_ _  
_ _Wattson: I'd like to take you to breakfast sometime, there is a cafe that is nice and quiet and close too_

For a moment she considered her usual ‘no’ to any social invitation, but thus far she had actually enjoyed spending some time with Natalie. Breakfast was a lot further than a late-night talk in the kitchenette though. She’d been avoiding there out of fear of finding Natalie again, though she didn’t quite know why. Against her better judgment, she didn’t decline. 

_Wraith: when_

_Wattson: When are you free?_

_Wraith: always am_ _  
_ _Wraith: i dont go anywhere_

That much was true. If she wasn’t training or buying food, she was in her room trying to hone her control of the Void or attempting sleep. For Natalie, she could break her usual rigid schedule. 

_Wattson: Then you shall expect me at 8 am tomorrow_

_Wraith: why so late_

_Wattson: ???_

_Wraith: im up at 530_ _  
_ _Wraith: always training_

For one reason or another, Natalie had struck Wraith as an early riser. Apparently, that was untrue. If she was a night owl like Elliot that could be a problem. The little sleep she did get was precious. At least Pathfinder had the restraint to remember not to text her at all hours and he didn’t sleep at all. 

_Wattson: You really should sleep more_ _  
_ _Wattson: But I can go earlier, 7 am?_

_Wraith: whenever you arrive is fine_

Wraith winced. Too curt. Natalie was a kind person and she had to do her best to return that kindness. Her usual snappy responses had to be holstered. 

_Wraith: and thanks_ _  
_ _Wraith: i like hanging out with you_

Too far? She wondered. 

_Wraith: your nice_ _  
_ _Wraith: your_ _  
_ _Wraith: your_ _  
_ _Wraith: YOURE_

She was about ready to hurl the phone at her wall if it didn’t finally take the message she wanted to send. A few deep breaths and it passed for now. Rage was on the laundry list of characteristics about herself she wanted to change. 

_Wattson: lol_ _  
_ _Wattson: At least you know the difference_ :)

 _Wraith_ : thanks   
_Wraith_ : so 7 or 8

 _Wattson:_ I'll be there at 8, I can meet you there!

 _Wraith_ : ok

She hastily threw a reminder in her phone. The voices had been noticeably silent through the conversation and she hoped that meant there was nothing to worry about. 

It was just about 8 and Natalie hadn’t seen or heard from Wraith. Maybe she had just slept in? Or had she decided not to come? Her nerves were solidifying as she asked her waitress for a few more minutes. After all, she’d been occupying a table without ordering anything more than water for fifteen minutes. 

For weeks, Natalie tried coaxing Wraith away from her armor. Everything that mysterious woman said and did was intended to keep others at arm’s length. It was her coldness to conversation and her sharp responses to questioning. She'd thought that her Nessie pancakes that first night would be the breakthrough and that it would be easy from there. Instead, Wraith fell silent and became averse to questioning. Natalie continued to engage her on small talk but there was nothing more to gleam from her. At least she enjoyed the pancake (Natalie found she only had enough mix for two). At first she'd been hesitant to tear apart the starch sea monster, but, hoping to make Natalie happy, she'd buttered and syruped it. The pancake had been better than she'd anticipated and she found herself let down there were no more. Despite helping with the dishes, Wraith had drained her social battery for the day and retreated into her own room soon after. Trouble was, her battery took a very long time to recharge.

More than once, she’d just dropped off their texts for hours and Natalie had yet to see her in the kitchenette again despite her initial enthusiasm. But she persisted, tugging at Wraith’s openings but never prying. And now, she was starting to shed just the outer layer of her defenses, this breakfast was supposed to be proof enough for Natalie. 

In her own mind, she was bouncing with excitement. She’d already added Wraith to her list of friends and found herself enjoying the mysterious company the more she experienced it (usually quick catch-ups in the gym locker or passing by between matches). Wraith was stilted and at times aloof, but she was polite and attentive, qualities Natalie admired. If only she’d show up.

The cafe she’d chosen was a cozy and laidback place, perfect for both of their sensitivities. One would be forgiven for not recognizing it was a former IMC ammo dump. The stark reinforced concrete structure had been bought up not long after the War and leased out to small businesses. An insurance company occupied the lion’s share, with the rest dedicated to cutesy shops and a salon Natalie frequented. The cafe itself was on the ground floor, windows had been added with a view of the adjacent nature preserve and hardwood floors had been installed. Soft lights dangled from the I-beams and illuminated the patron provided art on the walls. It was a peaceful place with good food. Often, Natalie went with Bloodhound to sip tea and watch the birds. 

The bell above the door rang, and Natalie snapped her head towards it. A short figure clad in a heavy black hoodie surveyed the cafe and locked eyes on her. The bottom part of her face was covered with a deep purple scarf. Those intense eyes could be only one person though, and Natalie enthusiastically waved Wraith over. As Wraith took a seat, Natalie noted this particular scarf looked far softer and more comfortable than the usual ratty one she wore in matches. 

“ _Bonjour mon amie!_ I am so ‘appy you came, the oatmeals here are quite good. I think you would like the apple cinnamon, just a guess.” Natalie ignored Wraith’s even more tired than usual expression and the fact her clothes seemed to defy the eternal heat of Solace. This was her first major victory since exchanging phone numbers.

“I just need a coffee right now. Sorry I’m late.” Her voice was rough like she’d been yelling. “Void and Caustic kept me up, and I ran out of palladium so the Void hasn’t been flowing right.” 

Natalie knew firsthand how Caustic could get. When experiments were not going according to his plans, he cursed the universe and his equipment in a profanity-laced diatribe. When he was successful, the result was a self extolling monologue only worthy of the stage. Exactly what palladium had to do with the Void however, was something Natalie didn’t bother to interrogate. Wraith’s penchant for heavy metals and toxic compounds was only ever explained in the vaguest terms. 

“Why don’t you take a nap then, we can meet again later.” Natalie suggested. But Wraith was already tracing her finger down the menu.

“I don’t really nap. Either I sleep or I don’t. Well…” Her voice trailed off.

For a few moments, the pair looked through menus in silence, neither sure of how to start the next conversation. The waitress circled back before either could come up with a plan. Natalie noted Wraith’s rather large order with multiple eggs, slices of toast, sausage, oatmeal (apple cinnamon to Natalie’s delight), and fruit; it was incongruous with her size. Natalie herself would be content with her oatmeal and tea. 

“And can I have whatever your strongest coffee is? Black.” Wraith capped off her order as Natalie had expected. Despite her own tea habit, Wraith was a coffee lover at heart. 

The waitress hurried off, leaving both quiet again, but now Natalie had a better idea of how to start with Wraith. 

“I like your scarf. A different one than usual, yes?” Natalie asked. Wraith tapped her fingertips to the fabric and looked at it, pausing for a moment to confirm which it was.

“Oh, thanks. It’s sort of fragile, I wasn’t very good when I made this one.” She emphasized with the inconsistent stitching and ragged ends. Even so, Natalie was impressed.

“You crochet? I tried to make a blanket once, I think it's still unfinished in my room somewhere, circuits were always more my area. It’s a french word you know.” Natalie recalled the oversized sweater her Papa had attempted for one of her birthdays, that too still resided in her room. “Can you teach me?” Wraith’s face shifted, still half-hidden behind the scarf.

“I knit. It’s a lot different than crochet, I’m not a good teacher, but Elliot is.” She sighed. “It’s mostly scarfs and gloves. Another way to pass time and train focus.” Like any attempt to compliment her, it was deflected with self-depreciation and a subject change, but this time Natalie didn’t give up so easily.

“Well, I still think it is pretty. Purple really is your color _mon amie_!” Natalie smiled and saw the corner of Wraith’s mouth twitch. More progress. “And I would still like to learn from you, Elliot talks too much sometimes. I like that you’re quiet, it helps me think.” She meant every word. Elliot was a dear friend, but there were times he was just too much, especially with her need for silence. Wraith on the other hand excelled at silence. 

“That’s really nice of you Wattson. I...ummm...let’s find a day. I’ll try my best to show you some techniques.” Wraith hesitated before letting another one of her layers of callousness slip away. There was a flicker of the Void in her eyes and her face softened. “Maybe now isn’t the time or place, but Natalie, it means a lot to me that you try. I know I’m not easy to be nice to, but you do your best. And I haven’t really had that a lot before. Thank you.” 

Natalie was able to resist the urge to jump out of her seat and hug Wraith, tell her that she was worth every carefully chosen word and kind smile. The most valuable thing in the world to Natalie was a friend, with a good one close by, nothing was impossible. 

“I would love that Wraith! We are friends, yes?” Another moment of terrible doubt threatened to cut down her joy. 

“Of course. I don’t know what makes that official, Path says it's these.” Wraith held up her wrist and tugged down her sleeve to show several thin multicolored bracelets. One was a light blue and yellow, the other black and yellow. It was easy for Natalie to figure out who they were from, Pathfinder and Elliot. The bracelets were worn and faded, she’d had them for a while. 

And as Wraith brushed some of her hair behind her ear, she noticed another set of accessories, multiple earrings. She’d never noticed them before but now found them intriguing. They were the same dark grey metal as her nose stud and dotted the perimeter of her ear with small studs, hoops, and dangles. Natalie shook herself from fixating on them. Wraith was talking to her and she had to listen, she reminded herself. 

“-sort of silly I guess, but it makes them happy.” She came back to the present for the last half of Wraith’s sentence. There was enough context for her to scrounge up a coherent response. 

“Well, I can make you a friendship bracelet too. Do you give them out?” Natalie was buzzing at the thought of Wraith adding an orange and blue braided string to her wrist. She used to make similar bracelets for her friends at home when she was young, many of the now undersized bracelets were still in her jewelry box. 

“Yeah. Mine’s purple and black, I can make one for you if you like.” Wraith fidgeted with Path’s bracelet. 

“That would be wonderful, we can make them when you teach me the knit! It can be like practice.” She swore there was almost a smile on Wraith’s face. While she had her in a good mood, she decided to risk something. “May I ask you a question? It’s about your...Void stuff.” 

Wraith’s eyes narrowed and again shimmered with the Void. In turn, Natalie held a friendly face, not off-put by Wraith’s skepticism. The gambit appeared to work as her eyes returned to grey. 

“Ok, but I don’t know if I’ll have an answer.” 

“Can you see the future?” Natalie blurted out all at once. The question had been on her mind since their first encounter in the kitchenette. Wraith’s apparent ability to anticipate her words and her hyperawareness could only have so many explanations. 

“Not quite. It’s complicated Wattson. I don’t really understand it myself. But...I’ll try.” Wraith took in a breath and collected her thoughts. Natalie leaned in, intent on absorbing every word. “It’s like I see more of the present. Well, hear, not see. I get these warnings in my head. They tell me things that I haven’t noticed yet, usually warnings from their worlds.” 

“ _Their_ worlds?” Natalie cocked her head. So the rumors of Wraith hearing voices were true, but perhaps not in the sense everyone claimed. 

“The Voices are other versions of me. Somehow we’re all connected through the Void and when one of me is in the right state, they can send a message. I did it once, but I haven’t figured out the technique.” Wraith spoke slowly, trying to avoid mincing words or even just confusing herself. “The problem is they’re not always right. For example, when I walked in, a bunch told me you were sitting to my right. Others said ridiculous things like you wanted to have sex with me or kill me. Those I can ignore most of the time, trouble is when they’re right…” Her voice drifted off like she was distracted by a thought but she snapped her focus back to Natalie. 

“And so there are other Wattsons out there as well? I suppose that it makes sense some of me would be violent, but it is strange to imagine myself as not me.” She intentionally danced around the other option, afraid to begin that train of thought. “Have you ever met another Wraith?” 

The question changed her demeanor in an instant. Her openness evaporated and all the softness that had built in her face rehardened to her usual stoicism. 

“Another time Wattson.” Wraith said with a bit too much cut in her voice. “There are things that I...somethings you shouldn’t worry yourself with.” She followed up with a hint of the warmth she still had. 

Natalie tried to read her eyes and her voice. But she came up short, the tiny expressions and twinges in her voice were like another language that was lost on her. All the signs were there and remained frustratingly out of her reach. 

She couldn’t kick herself too long as their waitress had returned with their drinks and meal. A steaming cup of tea with honey and cream was set in front of Natalie. The aroma swelled in her, filling her with warmth. This particular tea always reminded her of home of being with her Papa and discussing science over scrambled eggs and burnt toast. The bowl of oatmeal looked as soothing as ever, though she felt a hint of jealousy for Wraith’s massive plate of food.

Wraith thanked the waitress and wrapped her hand around the mug. Despite the reminder of how hot the coffee was, she brought it to her lips and took a swig. Her unflinching expression was impressive in its own strange way to Natalie. The coffee seemed to agree with Wraith since she took another large sip. 

Natalie began to stir her oatmeal around for best flavor distribution. Across from her, Wraith was already spreading jam on her toast with her usual intensity. Her movement had more in common with an attempt to stab the bread rather than flavor it. 

“Wattson, if we’re going to be friends, there’s certain things you’re going to have to accept.” Wraith started, her voice serious yet simultaneously kind. “Mostly there’s a lot of secrets that I will not tell you. I’ll let you in on things when I trust you, but you’ll never know it all. Don’t push on me. Ever. There’s times I need my space and you’re going to have to live with that.” Wraith sighed and swirled her coffee. “And please don’t touch me.”

“I can handle that Wraith. No more questions from me today!” Natalie smiled. “Actually, just one. Your piercings, did they hurt?”

Wraith hung her head, laughing to herself. A genuinely amused smile crossed her face for a sliver of a moment before she could squash it. 

“What? I’ve never even had my ears pierced, I’m just curious!” Natalie protested. 

“No, no. Sorry, you’re just funny sometimes Wattson.” She shook her head, still fighting off a smile. “No they didn’t hurt. Not...nevermind. I got them done at a good place. If you want some, I’ll give you the name.” Wraith offered.

“That’s ok. I’ve never seen them and they are quite pretty on you.” Natalie said and took a spoonful of oatmeal before she could get carried away. The smile that crossed her face was one she would pretend was only from the flavor of her meal. 

Wraith ran her finger over the metal, mentally checking what she had in today. Natalie began to wonder if she just threw on whatever was available before heading out, her lack of awareness of her own dress was odd. Or perhaps knowing _exactly_ what you were wearing was a quirk Natalie had and she just assumed everyone else did. 

“Thanks. They’re kind of personal to me, but that’s a story for another time.” Wraith winced and rubbed her knuckle. “Sorry, Kuivuaika isn’t great for my skin and of course the Void makes everything worse. _As usual_.” She growled the last part under her breath before she aggressively stabbed a forkful of sausage. 

Natalie could relate. Rather than having proper seasons, it was always summer on Solace just with variations in the amount of moisture. They had a time for hot and rainy, hot and humid, and now was the time for hot and dry. For Natalie, it was chapped lips. She made a note of Wraith’s need for later. 

“All I have is my scar. No piercings or tattoos, I’m very scared of needles.” Natalie confessed. 

“So am I. For what it’s worth, I think it’s nice how you don’t cover it up. That must inspire a lot of people.” Wraith said.

“I never thought of it that way, but I suppose that would be true.” The heat in her cheeks rose at the oblique compliment. She wasn’t ashamed of her scar perse, just more ambivalent towards it. “But maybe it is best not to inspire people with it. The way I got it was a stupid mistake I made when I was a little girl, I’m lucky to have survived.” She swallowed hard at the memory. She could almost feel the electricity tearing up her arm again.

“We don’t have to talk about that now. I know what it’s like to survive something like that and not want to relive it every time someone asks. Let’s talk about something else.” Wraith assured. But Natalie was still slipping back into that moment, then the minutes after as her Papa cradled her. “Hey Natalie, you like old things, right? Like old books and tech?” 

Natalie recentered herself on Wraith’s words and the softness in her voice. The usage of her real name wasn’t lost on her either. She could almost feel the effort Wraith was putting in to reach out to her.

“I love old books, I’ve been searching for Dr. Ottway’s volume one of Styxosaurus biology for years. It’s a fascinating series, and about one of my favorite creatures. I like to think that Nessie is a Styxosaurus. I’m talking about myself again.” Natalie giggled to herself. “Pardon, you can continue.” 

“You struck me as the type. I’ve always liked them too, mostly old equipment I scrounge up. Like this.” Wraith held out her wrist to reveal another intriguing accessory, at least to Natalie. 

It was a scuffed and faded wristwatch, an old battery-powered digital model. The watch had a rugged build and with its matte black color, very much in Wraith’s oeuvre. By accident, Wraith had also given Natalie her first up-close look at the bracer she wore. One end was flush with the watch and she could only make out the first few inches of the strange device.

What she wouldn’t give to study it without restrictions. It was simple in appearance, but she could see energy arc from nub to nub and more glowing within it. She began to wonder if it was attached to Wraith or if she needed it to survive. 

“It’s from the 2650s as far as I know, but it's not worth much anymore. I changed out all the parts to make it work again. You wouldn’t believe what you can find buried in the Arena.” Wraith pulled her arm back, forcing Natalie to set her theories aside. However, even to her the inflection of Wraith’s final words was odd to say the least. It felt like she was asking a question, a subtle interrogation of Natalie. And she did know of several secrets in King’s Canyon, but those she would keep to herself for now. 

“You repaired this yourself? You are quite talented Wraith, I think you may be an engineer at heart.” Natalie smiled, glad to at least have a friend who was both quiet and thought the same way. “What is the oldest thing you own? I have a book from 2405, it has been in my family since then.” The book in question was actually a basic mathematics text, meant to teach elementary school children. Natalie had read through it and mastered its concepts before she was even willing to talk, and when she finally did start to speak, it was teaching her Nessie about that book. 

“I think I have you beat. It’s a Pilot’s bag from 2278. Next time we’re on the dropship, I’ll show it to you. There’s some engineering tricks in there I think you’d like.” Wraith’s voice was soft again and her shoulders relaxed. “Your oatmeal recommendation was great by the way.” 

Now she was just going out of her way to make Natalie’s chest feel like it was full of sparks. When she glanced at Wraith’s bowl, she had indeed finished it first. 

“Merci. I would love to see your collection someday Wraith, perhaps when you teach me to knit?” Natalie offered.

The anticipation of a glimpse into Wraith’s room further distracted Natalie from her sorrowful recollections. No one had seen inside, and like everything to do with her, rumors were plentiful. Yet what Natalie wanted was data points to begin to get to know Wraith. Perhaps she would find a poster of a band she liked, or something as trivial as a painting. But Wraith wasn’t ready for that yet. 

“Let’s not meet at my place, it's a mess. If that’s alright Wattson.” She eagerly nodded, that was just as good. “Okay. How about next Tuesday? I have some extra supplies you can use.” Wraith’s voice again strained with an effort to be genuine and kind to Natalie. She was fighting years of ingrained nature, but the unflinching openness of the woman across from her was drawing her along. 

“I cannot wait! Let’s meet in my apartment, it is cozy and private, I think you’ll like it.” Natalie smiled again.

“I’d like that Natalie. Thanks.” Wraith hid the smile on her face with a sip of coffee, for the first time, she too was looking forward to seeing someone again. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, critique and feedback is appreiacted.


	3. Tight Knit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wraith makes good on her promise of a knitting lesson and Natalie pulls her just a little closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Delayed for a bit because google docs has been finicky lately. Expanding the roster of characters a bit too for some variety.
> 
> Obviously, this is the longest chapter by far, basically doubling the word count of the other two combined. I may expand the chapter count from six to seven depending on how coherently I can get everything I want into chapter 4.

The amount of effort Natalie was putting into her preparations was silly. She knew that. But it didn’t stop her from cleaning her apartment top to bottom all day. The volume of dust that had accumulated was impressive and the vacuum had rattled as it picked up all the wire snippings and loose solder. All her loose equipment and tools were hidden out of sight, and hopefully non-offensive enough that the Voices wouldn’t tell Wraith how Natalie lived most days. She was a cluttered person, bouncing between ideas too fast to clean up the last one. 

Natalie had also made sure the fridge was stocked with drinks and snacks, silently hoping Wraith would stay for a meal. The menu was an old stand by, a simple stir fry her papa had taught her, hopefully, this time to be paired with margaritas, her specialty. She’d resolved to grab some of the teas from the kitchenette as well, she did pay for them after all. 

* * *

“Look at chu all dressed up. Yuh got a date Nat?” Ajay asked as she entered, stabbing at a pot of something that smelled heavenly herself. Ajay’s cooking was well known as some of the best and she was more than happy to feed her friends on girls' nights. 

Natalie was dressed in a flowy, light blue sundress that she may or may not have chosen for how good it made her waist look. She’d also tamed and curled her usually wayward blonde hair, then completed her outfit with lightning bolt clip-on earrings and her favorite sneakers. 

“No, I’m just seeing a friend.” Natalie played coy. Even Ajay kept her distance from Wraith. She’d been one of the people to warn Natalie to steer clear, claiming intimate knowledge from Wraith's visits to the clinic. 

“Uh-huh. A special friend. Come on Nat, if yuh got a date I won’t judge. Unless it’s Silva.” She teased.

“Ooooh, Nat gonna finally go on a date? You should have told me to clear my schedule, wink.” Elliot lounged at the table, texting with one hand and stirring a late afternoon coffee with the other. Like nearly everyone, Natalie had been on the other end of his flirtations, but politely said she wasn’t interested. That didn’t stop him from messing with her from time to time. 

“It’s not a date!” Natalie was protesting too much now. “I’m just getting a knitting lesson. From...Wraith.” She mumbled her name, trying to hide the way she said it. Ajay cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. 

“Just be careful Nat. I trust yuh, but Wraith is...well she’s Wraith about things. I don’t wantcha to get hurt thinkin’ she’s yuh friend and then she leaves yuh behind. Poor Elliot thought he had a girlfriend.” She shook her head and stirred her meal again. “No one knows what she wants or even a thing about her. She might not be lookin’ for the same thing chu are.”

“Now when I said ‘girlfriend’, I meant a friend who is a girl, not like, you know, a real girlfriend, because I’m totally not into Wraith. You know she’s way too intense, and scary, and I’m totally not into that-”

Natalie tuned out Elliot’s ramblings to look to Ajay but found her rolling her eyes and going back to her cooking. 

“Look, what I mean is; Wraith can be a great person to hang with. And Nat, I really think she’d like having another friend. Poor girl needs it.” He said with a smile. Not his usual sarcastic, for the cameras, smile, but a soft genuine smile Natalie had only seen from him a few times. On the occasions where Elliot stopped being Mirage, Natalie always wished he could stay that way for a little while longer. But a moment later, he was back to his carefree quippy self. 

“Maybe yuh know her better, Witt, but I’ve had one too many friends stab me right in the back. I’m trying to look out for Nat, she doesn’t need anymore hurt.” Ajay said.

“Thank you, but I can handle myself.” Natalie huffed and yanked her tea from the cabinet, walking off in silence. 

Elliot eyed Ajay, ready to say something, but she threatened him with the spoon to shut him down. 

* * *

Natalie slammed her box of tea into the counter. Her hands were trembling with frustration that threatened to hatch into anger. Babying her by “looking out for her” was a surefire way to get under Natalie’s skin, but Ajay making swipes are Wraith like that, that got her fuming. To question her friends, any of them, was to question her in Natalie’s eyes. But at the same time, how well did she know Wraith?

Elliot probably knew her the best, yet even he seemed a little hesitant. And Ajay herself knew Wraith longer than Natalie. She rarely misjudged even if she was a bit harsh on Silva at times.

Natalie shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts. She pushed her earbuds in and turned on some of her favorite music to calm down. It was still an hour before Wraith was supposed to arrive, that would be more than enough.

* * *

The knocks on her door were so tentative she almost didn’t hear them through her earplugs. As always, Natalie stood on the tips of her toes to check the far too high peephole. A messy bun of raven hair had to mean Wraith. 

“Bonjour Wraith! Come in, I’m so ‘appy you made it.” Natalie had that buzzing in her chest again at the sight of her. 

Wraith thanked her and made her way inside with a backpack slung over one shoulder. The clothes she wore were different from what Natalie was used to seeing her in. Rather than loose sweats, she had on a purple long-sleeved tee and black jeans that fit her better than her other outfits. Her combat boots, however, were a constant. It was a good look, though Natalie imagined she would look very sharp with a dress shirt. As Wraith walked into the living room, Natalie caught herself looking a bit too long at her. A twinge of unease hit her when she realized that Wraith may be the one person to actually have eyes in the back of her head.

Wraith took a few moments to assess Natalie’s apartment, her complete silence and non-reaction only making the other woman’s nerves worse. The soft fairy lights and elegant lamps made the place feel warm and soft, helped but the generous amounts of pillows and blankets Natalie had on the plush couches. There were posters of her favorite scientists, paintings of sweeping landscapes on the pale walls (she’d had them repainted from the standard-issue grey), and a corkboard covered with a rotating roster of letters, drawings, and pictures from fans. There was one wall that bore over a dozen Polaroid photos, and upon closer inspection, they were photos of Natalie with the other legends, every other legend. Though Wraith was unsurprised to not find herself, she still felt a twinge looking at Natalie and Ajay on a hike together or her riding on Makoa’s shoulders. 

“You’ve got a nice place;it’s very cute. I like the-whoa!” Wraith almost tripped over a stack of shorted out fence bases as she moved deeper into the living room. 

The metal discs toppled onto the floor and scattered over the room. Natalie had cleaned up almost all of her failed experiments, but those had snuck by. As Wraith bent down to pick them up, she noticed the bookshelf next to her was stuffed with a mixture of scientific theses and adventure novels, as well as loose electronic equipment and papers; the latter probably part of a cleanup. Natalie rushed closer to her. 

“I’m so sorry Wraith, I thought I had picked those up. I’m usually more careful and-“ Natalie was speaking rapidly but Wraith cut in. 

“I didn’t break anything important I hope?” Her cool voice refocused Natalie. 

“Non, these are all broken to start. I’ve been trying to make my fences more powerful, but they keep burning out. And then my pylon keeps shorting and argh! It’s so frustrating when nothing works!” Natalie grabbed her hair with both fists, undoing most of the work she’d done on it and only rattling herself further. “Pardon, I’m being silly. May I light a candle Wraith?”

“Go ahead. And that’s not silly Natalie, you’re allowed to get frustrated. I live near Caustic and Silva, I can handle anything you say.” 

Natalie let her shoulders drop and started to breathe normally. Right, candles. 

She brushed past Wraith to open a drawer full of dozens of candles, ranging from small pucks to thick towers of wax, covering a range of pastel colors and in various states of usage. After a moment to survey her options, she grabbed a soda can-sized purple candle and dropped it into a glass jar on the coffee table. However, she discovered her book of matches empty and her stick lighter was nowhere to be found. 

“Here.” Wraith held out a metallic reusable lighter. 

The other side had an inscription that teased Natalie’s fingers. She flipped it over and palm and found an image of Wraith’s kunai engraved into the side. To her surprise, the flame was also Wraith’s signature purple. Alcohol and strontium would produce that type of color if Natalie remembered correctly. 

“Merci! You really like purple mon amie. It looks good on you, you should add some more to your outfit in the Arena.” Natalie smiled as the candle’s subtle lavender scent began to take hold in the room. 

“I just think it’s a neat color.” Wraith shrugged. 

Natalie offered her a seat around the cleared off coffee table of books As Wraith reached inside her backpack, Natalie saw a bandage around her left forearm and wrist when her shirt bunched up. Wraith quickly covered it and Natalie tried not to assume the worst. Whatever it was, Wraith didn’t address it. Instead, she stacked her supplies on the table; plastic tubs full of yarn, multiple sets of needles, and her knife. There was also a handful of thin twine. 

“Oh, the bracelets!” Natalie was so excited she squealed out loud. “And I am so distracted lately Wraith, I forgot to make tea! Do you want any?” She had already gotten up to address her newest slip-up. 

“Sure. Whatever your favorite is will be fine.” Wraith assured. 

That gave Natalie free reign but also unexpected pressure. What if Wraith didn’t like her favorite tea? It didn’t matter, it was just tea, but still, she would reject a part of Natalie. She shook her head. They were friends, _just friends_ , and that kind of thing didn’t matter. So Knight’s Lotus it was; a soft tea that always came with a splash of milk and some cookies. Cookies!

She’d forgotten those too. Mentally she called herself an idiot over and over. Why did she get like this when Wraith was around? Through her mental kicking, she didn’t hear Wraith's portal. 

“Hey Nat, I also brought some snacks. They’re probably a bit stale, but it was all I had.” Wraith held up a bag of premade oatmeal raisin cookies. They were among the few sweets she kept on hand, and on short notice, the best answer to the Voices telling her about Natalie’s latest frustration. 

“You’ve saved me Wraith.” Natalie giggled. “We should have time to start our bracelets while the water heats?”

She returned to the table and sifted through the multitude of colors Wraith had provided. There were several shades of her signature blue and orange to choose from, and she settled on a pastel orange matched with a sky blue. Adding white would have been preferable, but she didn’t know how to incorporate a third color yet. She heard the swish of a knife and saw Wraith holding out a strand of black string. 

“Here, that’s the measurement. Give me yours when you have a second.” She twirled the kunai handle towards her. It was another move to avoid touch. 

The knife was heavier than Natalie had anticipated but well balanced in her hand. As her fingers wrapped around it, she could sense the thrum of the Void in it. She’d always suspected that Wraith channeled energy through it, now it appeared to be fused to the weapon. Out of curiosity, she traced her thumb over the flat of the blade. She’d hand recoiled instantly, the Void had jolted her whole arm like a novelty buzzer and the metal was so cold it felt like a burn. 

“Natalie!” Wraith cried out. “Shit, I should’ve warned you. Sorry. I’ll grab some warm water. I’m sorry, are you okay?” She grabbed Natalie’s wrist and looked closely at her affected finger. 

The damage was minimal, but it would likely be sore, then numb for hours. Caustic had once told her that being stabbed with her blade was “the purest form of pain. It was raw, unfiltered through its medium” before asking for a similar blade for his own use. Since then, she’d been more selective with its employment in combat. She had found while practicing with it that glancing contact and even small cuts were far less painful than an actual attack, but always jarring in their own right. 

“I’m fine. It was my own fault. You may have realized I can become carried away.” She motioned towards the scar on her cheek. “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” She smiled over the throbbing in her thumb and wrist, trying to comfort Wraith. This was no one’s fault, just another stupid accident. 

The other woman unwound and returned to her seat but kept an eye on Natalie as she measured her small wrist out and sliced the string, this time without incident. Natalie was still quick to return the kunai and measurement.

“The Void is fickle, it hurts anyone it doesn’t like.” Wraith began. “The portals are an exception. I have to concentrate when making them for other people, they need convincing not to do that to whoever is in them. I still can’t do anything about the cold.” She mumbled. 

Natalie had never used one of her portals, but Anita had described it once. According to her, it was like being submerged in ice water and then attached to a speeding roller coaster. The knowledge that the Void was constantly primed to lash out at unwelcome visitors gave her no comfort at the prospect of ever using one. 

“Why does the Void like you then?” Natalie asked and began to braid her bracelet together. 

For a few moments, Wraith was silent. Her fingers worked with rapid precision to form the bracelet. Her razor focus and seamless movements made Natalie wonder if she had heard her. There didn’t seem to be a thing Wraith didn’t do with the same intensity she fought with. 

“I don’t know why.” She finally answered. “I...Natalie, how are you with secrets?” She put her string down and looked her in the eyes, searching for truth. 

“Depends on the secret. If you’ve done something bad I will tell someone, but I can keep a secret if it’s personal, promise.” It was more or less true. 

Wraith held her gaze for another moment. It was hypnotizing to stare into her seemingly never-ending grey eyes. They seemed to shift and roll like thunderclouds; powerful, intense, captivating. 

“Okay. I trust you. This isn’t another bad, at least as far as I know.” She began and went back to her braiding. “I don’t really know who I am.” 

Wraith let the words sit. Processing the simple statement was difficult. Though Natalie was sure there'd be more explanation, she was already mulling over the idea. She might know Wraith as well as Wraith knew herself. The shock of the confession hadn’t let it fully seep in yet. 

“Seven years ago, I woke up in a place with no idea who I was. What I know is that place was an IMC mental ward and that I was...” her voice caught and she dry swallowed. She put her bracelet down and took in a long breath. 

Natalie’s palm hovered over the table, primed to hold Wraith’s shoulder while she told her everything was okay. But that was clearly untrue. Though only an arms reach away, Wattson felt like Wraith was unreachable in the moment, stuck in some memory she couldn’t understand if she tried. It was like she was looking at an old photo of someone suffering. Her heart still pained for someone she could never help. 

“I don’t even know my name. All I have is Wraith and...and this.” She rolled up one sleeve. Tattooed up her forearm in bold letters was a string of digits: _61137_ . Wraith yanked the fabric up higher to show Natalie more. There were metal disks implanted in her pale skin and another tattoo bearing a bar code and the same number under the text: _Property IMC ARES Division_. Wraith quickly recovered her arm. “I don’t know when I was born, I don’t know if anyone is looking for me. All I know is I’m just an experiment. I don’t even know if I’m human.” She sucked in a ragged breath and grit her teeth. 

Natalie’s hands were shaking. She wasn’t equipped to imagine how that would feel. Waking up so terribly alone and scared, surrounded by people prodding and experimenting on you, your status as below human literally carved into your skin. Nothing in her experience could connect to how horrifying and how damaging that would be. Even in her darkest moments, Natalie had her happy memories and her friends to lean on. For so long Wraith had no one. 

“I’ve been searching for answers but I can’t find anything. Every door is a dead end. I don’t even know what I want to find anymore.” Wraith sunk her face into her hands, fighting against the tears. “I’ve never said it out loud before. I’m sorry, you don’t...you don’t need this. Just fucking forget I said anything. I’m-you don’t deserve-“ She was sobbing. 

“Wraith, mon amie, please don’t be scared.” Natalie softened her voice to below a whisper, almost a prayer to her. “I’m here for you. You don’t have to be alone. Please, I can listen.” 

Wraith sniffled. The pit in Natalie grew. The method of comfort she usually resorted to, physical contact and assurance, couldn’t be used for Wraith. And even if it could, this was so far outside of her realm. Wraith had bared her soul to her, and she could do nothing. 

“Your water is about to boil.” Wraith croaked, trying to change the subject. 

Where Wraith tried to hide behind stoicism again, Natalie saw an opportunity. She stood in front of Wraith and offered her palms. Time stretched as Wraith sat motionless except for the jerks of her sobs. Then, to her surprise, her hands were taken, just a light grip on her fingertips, but Wraith had still chosen contact. Her hands were cold and calloused, yet her touch was so gentle. Natalie drew her up and then wrapped a fluffy weighted fleece blanket over her shoulders, one of her own favorites for how cozy it made her feel. She led Wraith to her kitchenette and took down a ceramic mug from the cabinet that read “I’m the queen”. 

She filled the mug with hot water and dropped the tea bag in, followed by the requisite milk. Wraith wrapped her palms around it and cuddled it close to her chest. There were no new tears, just her reddened eyes and damp cheeks. Her thanks came out rough, but sincere. 

“My papa always said the first step to feeling better was to get up and walk around.” Natalie began while making her own tea. “Wraith, what you told me, I don’t know how to make it better and I don’t think anyone can. But, you are here, which means you beat your past. And no matter what you are or were, you’re my friend.” She led Wraith back to the couch, this time sitting next to her and handing her a cookie. As Wraith had warned, they were stale, but Natalie was not about to say anything. She nibbled the edge of the cookie with the blanket still draped over her, allowing her shoulder to touch Natalie’s. 

“I’m sorry you saw that. I-I’m not weak.” Wraith mumbled. “I don’t need to worry you with my problems.” She primed to say more but Natalie interjected. 

“That isn’t being weak Wraith. I cannot imagine how ‘orrible it would be to go through that, but you did and you’re still a kind and wonderful person. That is very strong Wraith. When my papa died, I was so angry at the world, no one could do anything right and I was mean to my friends because of it. It doesn’t matter how you were before, all that matters is how you are now, and that is someone I am very ‘appy is my friend.” Natalie assured, offering her palms again, and again, Wraith held her fingers. 

Inside, Natalie was swimming in her own thoughts. They came like rapids, tossing and thrashing her from the rising joy of Wraith opening up, to the terror of not knowing what other pain she bore, to the frigid sadness of Wraith’s life. She had to be strong, she had to be the rock for Wraith right now. Natalie steeled herself and spoke again. 

“No matter what happens Wraith, I will be here. As your friend. You can come to me and I promise I’ll listen. You deserve to be ‘appy too.” Natalie smiled wide for her and Wraith returned her own wary smile before letting Natalie’s fingers go. 

“Thanks. You’re sweet Nat. I think that’s enough soul-bearing from me today.” She forced a jagged laugh while she wiped her eyes. Though scarred and faded, Natalie had found her soul beautiful. “Let’s-let’s finish out bracelets. I haven’t even shown you how to stitch yet.” Wraith forced her voice to sound steady and picked her string back up, but now Natalie was the one keeping an eye on her companion. 

Her movements were slower, sloppier now, but still the elegant brutalism Natalie had come to expect from her. The bracelet was taking shape. An elaborate braid of perfectly wound black and purple grew from the anchor Wraith had used and she hummed something softly to herself as she worked now. Natalie too picked up her work again, giving Wraith silence and waiting for her to speak again. Silently, she hoped Wraith did not have the same thought. 

“You have really soft hands.” Wraith muttered. Thankfully she was too wrapped in her work to see Natalie’s blush.

“I like the tea a lot too. You have good taste.” It was like she was trying to make Natalie’s face catch fire. 

Unlike Wraith, however, she wasn’t getting hints about what was going on in the other's mind. She didn’t get to know how much those seconds of touch were rerunning inside Wraith's head. Or how Wraith kept recalling the petal-soft skin of Natalie’s fingers. Even her prosthetic felt like velvet against her own overworked hands. Was she really that touch starved that simply touching Natalie’s fingers had wormed so deep Into her mind?

“Done! What do you think?” Natalie held up the finished bracelet. Her knots were a little uneven and in hindsight, she liked another shade of orange better. 

“Nice work. I think it looks great Natalie, thank you.” Wraith held out her palm and Natalie dropped it into her waiting hand. 

As Wraith slipped her wrist through and joined it with the others-as well as extra hair ties and rubber bands-Natalie couldn’t help continuing to smile. The bracelet hung low on her wrist, plainly visible even with her long sleeves and Wraith made not attempt to cover it. She was proud to display that, yes, Natalie Paquette was her friend. 

“And yours.” She passed Natalie her own expertly woven bracelet. 

It may have differed from her usual bright fashion with its dark hues, but the moment she put it on, she felt like she could never take it off. It was a tiny piece of her newest friend and she hoped, a symbol of the start of an incredible journey with her. 

“Wraith, it’s so pretty! You have such skilled fingers.” Natalie didn’t even register the accidental implications as she turned and found Wraith's face rather close to her own. 

Those grey eyes were on her again, mysterious and enticing. She could feel Wraith’s cool breath on her own rapidly heating skin. Her eyes traced down Wraith’s nose, over that little matte black stud, to her upper lip. Both her lips. They looked so soft. Tempting. Wraith’s lips parted slightly as if to speak, but nothing happened. Why was her heart beating so hard? 

“We should start on the scarves.” Wraith said all at once, shattering the moment. 

“Oh, of course, we should. Yes.” Natalie said nervously and brushed some hair behind her ear. 

Thankfully for her, Wraith was still in control. 

* * *

She walked Natalie through the basics, for the first time doing all the talking. Watching her work the needles, seamlessly transforming the yarn into intricate stitches was like watching a sculptor transform a slab of marble into art. In what felt like minutes, Wraith had turned the pile of robins egg blue yarn into a well-stitched band. All the while, Natalie clumsily clacked her own plastic needles together, at first struggling to even get the yarn on right.

“Not quite, loop it over like this, and then pull here.” Wraith would say patiently and show Natalie again how to do it. She never touched Natalie’s hands again, instead, she would demonstrate with slow and exaggerated movements for her, always calm and always assuring. 

Thankfully for both, Natalie proved to be just as quick a learner with knitting as with electrical engineering. Soon, her tangled and knotted stitches morphed into tight and even ones and the scarf began to take shape. 

She’d chosen a rich navy blue yarn. It was a variant on her own favorite color, blue, but was more conducive to Wraith’s wardrobe, her silent hope being Wraith would accept the scarf as a thank you gift. It wasn’t until the tea (she’d refilled them both several times) hit her that they took a break. Natalie scrolled through her phone in the bathroom and was shocked to find they’d already spent two hours together and she was primed for more. 

When she returned to the living room, she found Wraith massaging her bandaged wrist, a dark red stain showing through on the underside. Her heart lurched.

“It’s not that Natalie.” Wraith quickly addressed her fear. “I don’t do that. This was just-ah-just overextending myself.” She hissed with each rub of the damaged tissue. 

Natalie sat gingerly on the couch adjacent to Wraith’s and waited for her response. But for a while, Wraith stayed quiet except for her mumbles to herself, or perhaps the voices. Another layer of gauze wrapped over her forearm and she injected herself with something, apparently another homemade concoction. The injection momentarily flushed her veins a dark blue and she sucked in a pained breath before it all returned to a more natural color. 

“I was trying to be normal. The bracer helps me keep the Void in check, and I can go without it for a little while. I thought I could leave it at home today and pretend.” Natalie noticed the device sticking laying on the couch next to her, probably retrieved via portal. “Like I said, the Void is fickle, even I’m not always safe from it.” 

She winced and jammed her wrist through the bracer’s loops. It constricted down on her like a snake, hissing and whirring as it did so. Another jerk of pain crossed her face before the device blinked to life. 

“We can stop here for today if you need to Wraith.” Natalie assured. She knew any offer to help with the injury would be turned down. 

“No, I’m fine. Trust me.” Wraith said calmly, picking her needles back up. “I haven’t heard anything new about sea monsters in a while, care to get me up to speed?” She asked with a knowing smile. 

Natalie’s eyes light up. There wasn’t a trace of pain or diversion she could feel in Wraith, maybe she was telling the truth about being fine, and she certainly hoped she was telling the truth about wanting to know more. 

* * *

  
  


With their scarves almost done, Natalie was getting even giddier. Her head was full of visions of Wraith wearing the scarf and the other Legends complimenting her on it. She’d smile and point to Natalie as its origin, but her fantasy was interrupted by Wraith sitting up board straight. 

Her eyes ran a glossy white and fixated on some point a million miles away. Still locked in her warning from the Void, she turned towards Natalie. 

“Someone’s coming.” Before either could even begin to question who, the answer arrived. 

The door thudded open. Natalie’s head snapped towards it and Wraith sprung into a combat posture, her hand already on the kunai’s handle. 

“Doctor Caustic, I have asked you to knock before entering!” Natalie’s complaint fell on deaf ears. 

In the doorway was the massive form of one of the few people Wraith harbored an actual dislike for. It was strange to see Caustic without his gas mask, his brown beard still concealing much of his face. But his nearly glowing green eyes were the same, murderous intensity she was used to in the Arena. He glared at Wraith, not even acknowledging Natalie for a moment. 

“I received disturbing reports of the company you’ve been keeping. It appears my concern was not unfounded.” He growled, continuing to fixate his emerald eyes on Wraith. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Natalie snapped before she even realized what she was saying. 

“A mind of your caliber is best served avoiding those of inferior intellect. This aberration is nothing more than another wild mongrel more concerned with its basest urges than bettering itself. It is in your best interest to leave Ms. Paquette alone, voidling.” He spat each word at her like venom, aiming to cut her to the bone. 

Wraith’s fists tightened, her nails painfully dug into her palms. Any harder and she might have started to bleed. But she wouldn’t break, not in front of Natalie. Caustic may have been a bastard, but he somehow had an affinity for her. 

“I think Natalie should be the one to make that decision.” She said through gritted teeth, shifting her posture to something slightly less hostile. 

“How she feels on the matter is irrelevant. Ms. Paquette does not have the foresight or experience to recognize your duplicity, but I see through your facade. You’re little more than another lowlife with a gimmick.” She stepped aside to leave the door unobstructed. 

Wraith took in a deep breath and ignored the voices pushing her to lash out at him. 

“Have it your way.” She said flatly. 

Natalie grabbed her sleeve as she got up to leave, her blue eyes pleading her to stay. 

“Sorry Nat, someone clearly is uncomfortable with me around.” She paced towards the door without taking her things. “I’ll see you around.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.” Caustic shot back. 

The pair started each other down as Wraith came towards the door. In the threshold, she paused to irritate him, making a point of crashing her shoulder against his arm as she left. For just a moment, she looked back, catching Natalie’s eye. Then, she vanished into the Void. Caustic turned back towards Natalie, his glare only slightly softening. 

“I would advise never speaking with her again and cutting all ties.” He said like it was a reasonable request, folding his arms like a disapproving parent. 

“No. Wraith is my friend and I will see her as I please.” Natalie pouted. “You do not get to decide these things for me, I am not a little girl anymore Doctor. Leave me alone, I don’t want to talk right now.” She spat at him. 

He stomped into her apartment, coming right up to the couch she was on. Compared to her, and in fact most people, he was massive. He towered over her, using his physical size to remind her of who held the power in their dynamic.

“This is not a matter up for debate Ms. Paquette. Wraith is a danger to you and your interests. Give me that ridiculous thing.” He extended his hand for the scarf that Wraith had left behind. In the moment, Natalie hadn’t noticed Wraith had only brought the scarf she was working on with her. 

But Natalie turned away and tucked the scarf behind her. She stared up at him defiant, putting on the most aggressive face she could muster.

“Non! This is something I made and I will keep it.” She snapped. “Thank you for your concern Doctor, but I will be quite fine on my own.”

He growled at her and reasserted his hand to no avail.

“You’re behaving like a petulant child Ms. Paquette. And if that is how you are going to conduct yourself, I have no choice but to treat you as such. You may keep your trinket, but know, if I ever hear of that _thing_ infesting your room again, there will be consequences.” He spat.

Without even waiting for a response from her, he spun around and stomped out, slamming the door so hard behind him that a picture fell from Natalie’s wall. 

She curled the dark blue scarf up to her face, reveling in its softness. Somehow, she found it in herself not to break down and cry. Instead, she found something entirely different, the strength to keep on working. 

* * *

It was past 11 PM and Natalie was working again. She’d wrapped her now completed scarf around her neck, still hoping to give it to Wraith, but also planning on making her own now. It was so comfortable that she was beginning to feel odd without one. She understood why Wraith always wore one. 

She looked down at her still buggy pylon, but this time, the thought of Wraith kicked off a domino chain. She kept circling back to, well, everything that had happened with them in those short few hours. 

Could she have done more to comfort her? To stop Doctor Caustic? Was she really out of line to stand up to him like that? Was he right? Should she have acted on that tiny voice when Wraith’s face was so close to hers?

The questions kicked up in her mind like silt in a river, occupying so much space and hanging for a long time before settling down again. But Wraith unknowingly solved her problem as the dominos fell to her portals, cutting through reality, going around obstacles. 

“That’s it!” Natalie cheered and pulled a magnifier from her desk. 

Upon close inspection, she found what she had been looking for. Right next to one of the capacitors on the motherboard, there was a tiny, almost imperceptible spot, a hole where an arc of electricity had burned through the board. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for some energy to seep through and disrupt things on the other side. Natalie was so energized by her revelation that she didn’t even think before picking up the phone, calling the first person who came to mind. Had Wraith not picked up on the first ring, she probably would have hung up after seeing the clock.

“Natalie, is everything okay?” Wraith’s voice carried concern, but not fear just yet.

“Oh yes, yes! Everything is great. I solved my pylon problem Wraith!” Natalie was still too excited to stop practically yelling into the phone. She heard a groggy groan and the shifting a bed of before Wraith answered.

“That’s great Natalie, good job. You’re a smart one, we all knew you’d figure it out.” Wraith yawned. “Tell me about it.”

Natalie launched into the explanation, strategically leaving out how much space that the woman on the other end of the line was occupying in her head and now making sure to maintain a normal volume. 

“And I am sorry about Doctor Caustic, that was very rude of him to say such ‘orrible things to you.” Natalie swallowed her pride and apologized for him, again. 

“Don’t you dare apologize for that man, you did nothing wrong, and that is his problem.” Wraith said with an odd mix of intensity and kindness. “Look, I never got the chance to really thank you. Natalie, I’m not...I’m not good at this. I suck with people, especially you. When I’m around you, I’m nervous but you make me feel so relaxed. I don’t want to fuck up in front of you, but I guess...I just want to be myself when I’m around you and I didn’t really know what that was before we met. What I want to say is: I care about you, Natalie. A lot. And I’ll be damned if I let Caustic stop me from being your friend, or anyone else. I don’t know, I don’t even know what I mean.” 

The words hung between them for a moment, neither sure if it was still their turn to speak. On the other end, Wraith was preparing to walk it all back, to try and clean up the emotions she’d just vomited out after keeping them in for so long, but Natalie came to her aid.

“You mean a lot to me too Wraith. I don’t care what Doctor Caustic says, you’re not bad for me. I think I can learn a thing or two from you.” Natalie smiled. 

It was the truth. Between Wraith’s combat prowess and her stone-cold demeanor, there was the possibility of becoming a far better Legend and getting taken more seriously by her peers with Wraith’s help. 

“The match next week is Duos. Would you be my partner?” Natalie asked, holding her breath. 

“I wouldn’t want anyone else.” Her smile could be felt over the phone and Natalie’s chest went fluttering again. 

Natalie was now officially in over her head. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, kudos and feedback are appreciated


	4. We Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Syndicate construction crews unearth a strange facility in King's Canyon, changing the course of Wattson and Wraith's match, and their friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this chapter also was going to have the scene at the Paradise Lounge, but it was already 7k words and getting a little unwieldy, so now this fic will have 7 chapters. 
> 
> There's some canon typical violence here, including temporary death and references to blood, but nothing graphically described.

Shattered Forest had a reputation for being a rather dull section of King’s Canyon. Viewers found fights there to be too generic, lacking the excitement of close-quarters brawls in Bunker or the madness of a hot drop on Skulltown. The Syndicate had dispatched a survey crew to look to possible remedies to the area. Jacob Young was in favor of building a large tower and adding some verticality to the map, others feared that would give the Game’s resident snipers an unfair edge. As the Ring’s designer and still chef engineer, Natalie was in and out of the meetings all day, informing what was possible and what she saw as options of the area. For Wraith, it was perfect. A woman on the inside gave her technically an unfair advantage, but neither of them was above “using all available resources”.

There was more than a week off for the first time in months, and instead of new Matches, the Syndicate had re-runs of previous championships and exclusive interviews with the top Legends. Much to the fans’ and Natalie's disappointment, Wraith had chosen not to participate in interviews again. Their duos match would be one of the first ones on the newly renovated map, however. While Natalie prepared for her own interview, the Apex Games and Wraith were about to be changed forever. 

Among the dozens of workers, someone’s shovel chipped against concrete. Brushing away the soil, he found this wasn’t just a fragment. Something was down there and something huge. He motioned his supervisor over, unaware he had just uncovered one of the IMCs deepest secrets. 

The dropship’s launch pad was abuzz with activity. There were still sixty people in the match, but having thirty squads instead of twenty made it feel far more crowded. The proximity and the clamors of dozens of voices talking over each other made Natalie feel nauseous. Her hood was designed to make gunfire and combat more tolerable, it did little to muffle this cacophony. To make it all worse, she was alone. 

Wraith hadn’t answered a single text in over a day, Natalie hoped she was still in the match. Undoubtedly it had something to do with that facility the Syndicate had unearthed and the massive portal that had bloomed from within. The streams of previous matches had shown the decrepit interior matched against tech only the IMC could have employed. Whatever she was feeling, Wraith had been in no mood to share. 

Turbulence dropped the ship another hundred feet and Natalie fought the rising bile in her gut. 

“Oh hell yes, this is awesome!” Octane shouted to his partner. 

This was a stacked match. Bangalore, Bloodhound, Pathfinder, Octane, Mirage, all some of the most elite competitors in the Games stood between Natalie and any hope of a win. If Wraith showed up, she could only do so much. She was good, one of the best, but even she couldn’t carry a deadweight to victory against a crowd like this. 

“Hey hey Wattson, you’re looking a bit green and a bit solo. Need a duo?” Mirage smiled and shot a decoy her way. 

His holographic twin leaned on the beam next to Natalie and gave her the same wide grin and finger guns. 

“I’m waiting for Wraith.” Natalie mumbled, still feeling woozy. 

“Look, Nat, she’s not gonna show. Wraith is usually the first one out here, and if she’s not out by now, she’s called it off. There’s always a few solos hanging around, come on, let’s ask around.” He said warmly and motioned her to follow, but Natalie didn’t budge. “Kid, it’s not personal. Wraith is a loner sometimes, actually almost all the times. Just let her get through this little mood she’s in and she’ll be back to her usual spooky self.”

She felt sick. It was the noise, the rumbling of the ship, the sting of being stood up. And yet she couldn’t blame Wraith, not consciously at least, part of her wanted to be angry at her yet she couldn’t muster the emotions. Her time would be better spent now trying to help her, not dropping into this match. 

“No thank you, Mr. Witt. I will figure it out on my own.” She murmured. 

“Okay, no problemo.” He played it casually as ever before laying a hand on her shoulder. “See ya down there kiddo.”

“Attention all Legends, two minutes until drop. Please proceed to your platforms.” The automated voice came over the speakers and hushed the crowd. 

Natalie stood alone on spot number seventeen. She’d resolved to drop far from the action, play it safe, maybe pull off a top five finish again. It wouldn’t be an honorable game, nor would she walk away with many kills, but at least she’d get enough points to maintain Legend status. As she looked around, she saw the other squads strategizing or just conversing. She dug her toe into the metal floor and played with her hands. A small commotion caught her attention. 

Bodies shifted and people cursed as something moved through the crowd. Whoever it was got hung up about halfway across the platform and on a rather aggressive squad. There was a familiar zip as a shimmering blue streak moved right through the mass of people. It stopped just in front of Natalie, pulsed, and then burst in a brilliant flash of light. 

“Sorry, I had a lot on my hands.” Wraith panted and brushed her messy bangs from her face. 

She’d arrived just in time and in full combat attire, with one minor modification. Her usual ratty scarf had been replaced with a soft, amateurish navy blue one. Natalie recognized it as the one she’d made for her during that first lesson. She’d stuffed it in Wraith’s mailbox in an act of desperation to get it to her. 

“You ‘ad me all wound up mademoiselle! I think I shall not speak to you this whole match.” She crossed her arms and huffed, feigning annoyance. “That is unless you can do something to make it up to me.” Her words came out far more suggestive than she wanted, but Wraith didn’t react to that. 

She reached into a satchel on her belt and wrapped something soft and warm around Natalie’s neck. As Natalie turned around, she caught the last moment of a smile on Wraith’s face. Her fingers traced the wool, a Robin's egg blue scarf, made just for her. 

“How’s that?”

“I suppose this will do.” Natalie pivoted her waist, unable to keep her hands off the handmade gift. 

While Wraith was about to continue to tease her, a deep growl came from behind them. Neither had to look to know that it was Caustic. 

“I see that you have chosen to defy my request, Ms. Paquette. How serendipitous that we are in the same match.” Wraith despised his usage of that word, always laced with implication. “Your death is inevitable Voidling, it calls to you. And I assure you, it will not come quick.”

Wraith crossed her arms and blew air from her nose. 

“Watch your back, I’ll be waiting.” She said with cool confidence. 

He feigned a lunge, but she didn’t shift. Some others on the platform turned towards the scuffle, backing off once they realized just who was involved. His eyes remained firmly on Wraith as he spoke again. 

“I’m very disappointed Ms. Paquette, I thought you were an intelligent young woman. Report to me after the match, we’ll have much to discuss.” He sneered and stepped back to his squad. 

The words were a gut punch for Natalie. For the past months, and even before, he’d been like a father to her, supporting and guiding her. When she’d messed up in the past, he would simply help her change course. The direct insult had her on the verge of tears. 

“Shithead.” Wraith mumbled. As always, Natalie started to step up to his defense but Wraith held her palm up. “Don’t let him talk to you like that. You’re not a kid, and you’re sure as hell not his kid. He has no right Nat.” Her words were firm, almost demanding. To Natalie’s surprise, Wraith’s fists were clenched with rage. 

“Doctor Caustic can be difficult but he looks out for me. He’s much smarter than me. and he’s been around longer.” Natalie sighed in defeat.

“Bullshit. You’re ten times smarter than Caustic  _ thinks _ he is. You designed the Ring in your twenties, Natalie, that’s incredible! Last night, he spent an hour yelling at the microwave. It took him that long to realize  _ someone _ unplugged it.”

Natalie stifled a giggle. She had no idea Wraith was a prankster and her kind words melted away the lead Caustic had put in her gut. 

“Seriously Natalie, stand up to him. You have a right to choose your own path.”

Before Natalie could thank her or contest her points, the platform lurched and the humid solace air washed over them both. The heat never bothered Natalie in her gear, she’d ensured it was cooled, if anything, she preferred to be warm. Breathing in the salty air reminded her of so many moments when she was just a girl. Her papa would take her on picnics here, sometimes even to his work. She played hide and seek with her legion of Nessie plushies, some still hiding down there. Yet, this place was suddenly off. Through all the familiar, there was something unnatural, almost evil. 

There was a taste like blood in the back of her throat and even through the roar of the dropship’s massive thrusters, she could hear the whisper. The portal that sprung from labs had corrupted the whole arena and neither woman could take their eyes from it. 

Natalie held a palm out to Wraith and she grabbed right on to it, squeezing her hand hard. 

“We can do this.” Wraith said. In the back of her mind, Natalie felt she wasn’t part of that we. “Let’s start in swamps. There’s a lot of loot there.” Wraith’s voice transformed into that of the stone-cold badass Natalie had seen in recaps. For the next few hours, Wraith her friend was taking a back seat to Wraith the Interdimensional Skirmisher and Apex Legend. 

Both leaped from the platform the moment the countdown hit zero. Swamps was the first flyover. 

Warm air rushed past Natalie’s face and ruffled her coat. She rolled into an elegant flip, extending her arms like a ballerina. It helped her to feel unafraid, like she could take on the world. If she could drop thousands of feet and do a move like that, what did she have to fear from amateurs with bad aim?

Wraith broke off and rocketed faster towards the surface. Natalie had time to watch her pull up at the last moment to use her speed to slide along one of the elevated platforms, snatching up a body shield and weapons before Natalie’s feet even hit solid ground. While Wraith looted above, Natalie searched one of the many buildings, finding only pistols and a helmet. Gunfire erupted as she racked the slide of an RE-45. Someone was outside.

“Headed your way!” Wraith called out. 

Natalie turned towards the door, only able to fire a few shots before she caught a blast from a peacekeeper right in the gut. Without a body shield, she stumbled back and smashed against the floor. Blood was already rapidly pooling around her and her vision blurred. 

The punchy report of a Wingman thundered in her ears, mixing with an R99 ripping through a magazine and panicked yells. Her attacker impotently discharged his peacekeeper at the whirlwind of a woman that leaped up the stairs in a single lunge. Wraith redirected herself off the wall, narrowly dodging a blast of energy, before rolling along the floor, more misses left in her wake. 

“Missed me.” She whispered and fired. 

The man crumpled to the floor like a loose chain, a skullpiercer round had lived up to the name. Before she could help Natalie up, Wraith’s eyes flashed a milky white. Her head snapped to the window. The last four rounds of the wingman thundered in the small room. A moment later, Natalie heard something heavy splash into the swamp outside. 

“New kill leader appointed.” The announcer informed. A glance at her HUD revealed Wraith already had four kills. 

“Hold on, this won’t hurt.” She put a hand on Natalie’s abdomen and stabbed a syringe into her chest. 

The familiar surge of the injection lit up her entire body and Natalie gasped back to full consciousness. Wraith laid a medkit in her lap and reloaded. Her heart was thundering in her ears but her head was swimming with insults aimed at herself. 

“Thank you. I was no help there, lucky that you were so close.” Natalie frowned. She didn’t even get an assist credit, her rounds had soared over the man’s head. 

“Don’t worry about it, a bad drop happens to all of us. Take what you need from the boxes, I’ve got my fill.” She twisted the stabilizer on her R99 and slung in on her back before offering Natalie a hand up. "We've got this Wattson. When the time comes, you'll kick ass." 

Now fully back in action, Natalie stumbled on shaky legs but steadied herself. Wraith's confidence in her was better healing than a phoenix kit. 

She trotted along behind Wraith with her ideal loadout of a Peacekeeper and a Longbow, both well equipped with attachments. Both women had high-level armor and plenty of healing items as well, Wraith also loaded up on grenades. A sweep of Swamps had resulted in only more loot. Now, though Wraith hadn’t said it, Natalie knew their next destination was Labs. 

The massive doors of the stark grey box of a facility were wide open. Supply bins lay looted and death boxes littered the ground. Wraith held on a vantage point for a few moments, waiting for any sign of company. The energy around her fingertips arced violently across the studs of her outfit. 

“I think the coast is clear.” She said coldly. “We’ll take a quick look inside and move on.” 

As much as she tried to hide her apprehension, even Natalie could feel it. Her whole body was tense, wound like a spring ready to burst at the slightest perturbation. Fingers twitched near the holster of her wingman.  Natalie’s palm extended in front of her and Wraith gave it a quick squeeze, then, she dropped down to the concrete platform. 

Both women kept their heads on a swivel, looking for anything not quite right. The irony was, the whole place was wrong. The portal above their heads was almost deafening. It sucked away every sound except its own unnatural whispering hiss. The energy made the hair on Natalie’s body stand up and it tingled her exposed skin. Wraith was worse for wear, twitchier than even Ajay had described. Her eyes hadn’t faded from their Void state since they’d gotten close. 

“Wraith, we don’t have to go inside.” 

They stood before the gaping maw of the facility, the deep red lights within rendering it like the bowels of some unholy beast about to swallow them whole. Familiarity crept into Natalie’s bones.  _ Deja vu _ .

Wordlessly, Wraith descended the stairs. She stepped over spent casings and empty magazines. The battle had done little damage to the reinforced concrete structure. 

Inside, cobweb-covered consoles glowed with life. Row after row of monitoring stations that had laid dormant for years sat waiting to be used again. The data on them was corrupted beyond recognition and Natalie couldn’t make sense of what readouts remained. Several had been shot to pieces, but one bore words that made Wraith stop on her tracks:  _ Singh Labs _ .

Suddenly, Wraith snapped to her right and drew her wingman. Two shots rang out and shattered against the wall of an adjacent room. By the time Natalie had her peacekeeper facing the same direction, Wraith had lowered her weapon. There was nothing in the room except toppled filing cabinets and more screens. 

“I saw someone. I swear, he was in there.” Wraith whispered more to herself than Natalie. “A man in a lab coat...” she violently shook her head, trying to return to the present. 

Natalie paced fences as the main doors and shut them, cutting out all natural light. She stood guard while Wraith checked the consoles, but she continued to find nothing. Each failure brought mounting frustration. She murmured under her breath, cursed the equipment, finally punching one screen, shattering it into a hail of glass. Wraith spat another curse and moved deeper into the facility, rubbing her sore fist. She was drawn to the portal like a moth to flame. 

For a while, Natalie left Wraith alone to stand in front of the portal. She didn’t move. Not a muscle, simply transfixed by it. Her face was blank, almost trance-like, yet Natalie could see the gears of her mind working as she stared into the swirling energy vortex. 

“Wraith, the ring is coming. We have to leave.” Natalie said softly. 

“I thought I’d find something here. I’m still no one.” She croaked, suppressing the urge to cry. 

This time it was Wraith who took Natalie’s hand first, their fingers wove together as they stood side by side. 

“You’re not no one. You’re Wraith, my friend who likes to knit and likes Fozzah tea.” Natalie squeezed her hand. “Come on, let’s leave this place.”

Wraith nodded but didn’t move. Natalie was about to say something when Wraith’s spring came unwound. 

“Grenade, move!” She grabbed Natalie by her jacket and threw her out of the way, eating the majority of the shrapnel of a frag grenade. 

She crumpled onto Natalie, badly injured and groaning. The enemy squad closed in, somehow they had disabled Natalie’s fences without her noticing and now they had downed her second line of defense. A telltale pulse washed over Natalie, Bloodhound was on the hunt. 

Wraith may have been down, but she wasn’t beaten. Propping herself up with her R99, she staggered to her feet and pulled out an arcstar. The grenade sliced through the air, embedding in a wall just in front of the door to the portal chamber. 

“Only one road left.” Wraith rasped and nodded towards the portal. 

Natalie slung Wraith’s arm over her shoulders and helped her limp towards the portal, tossing a thermite grenade behind her for cover. She gulped and stepped through the portal. 

Natalie was wrenched backward, zipping through the facility towards the column of Void energy outside. In a blur, she caught a glimpse of the ghostly silhouettes of Bloodhound and their squadmate. They hit the base of the portal and rocket upward. Natalie still felt the G-forces trying to stretch her body out, her feet felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. The icy chill of the Void sunk its talons into her flesh like her jacket wasn’t even there. 

Bursting from the portal top was like being thrown off a building. She was in free fall for one moment, and the next, her jump pack kicked in, aiming her right at Caves. Natalie looked next to her to find that Wraith had enough fight left to keep a steady course. The explosion had bloodied her face peppered her outfit with small holes. But she still had the presence of mind to recognize Natalie’s intended destination. 

However, as they came down, Natalie realized she’d made a mistake. A battle was already raging in the tight space with an unending stream of automatic fire and energy zaps. And as Natalie raised her head, she saw two smoke trails heading right for them; Bloodhounds squad. 

Natalie deployed her pylon to provide some form of cover while they huddled under the main building's supports. In that moment, Natalie’s world sharpened. 

Bloodhound was perhaps three hundred yards away and yet she swore she could see the details of their mask. An idea formed in her head, not an easy plan, but one within her skill set. The hunter had made a crucial error in coming at her head-on. 

Natalie raised her Longbow to her cheek and found Bloodhound’s squadmate in her scope. Her mind ran through the calculation, muzzle velocity, target speed and heading, wind intensity all fell into place. Her reticle led the enemy by a significant margin as Natalie slowed her breathing, focusing on the shot. 

The high caliber round screeched from the muzzle in a plume of burning gasses, tearing through the humid air with enough force to leave a vapor trail. The bullet slammed into the enemy’s shoulder, tumbling through vital organs before cutting out their back. Her foe may have been alive for the moment, but not much longer. 

Bloodhound began to move erratically, trying to dodge potential shots. The Longbow discharged again, the round whizzing far off to their right. Another round overshot them by feet. Spent casings clattered on the rocky soil, each one another miss. Natalie’s sights aligned, she pulled her trigger but she felt no recoil and saw no muzzle blast. In her determination, she’d forgotten to count rounds. And now, they were just meters away.

Bloodhound slammed into her, tumbling the small woman along the cave floor. 

They raised their Prowler and dumped bursts in her direction but Natalie was agile. She avoided most of the rounds which ricocheted off of beams and rocks, but several chipped away at her body shield. Another burst caught her as she popped out to fire her shotgun. 

Natalie’s shield shattered in a crisp snap, the final round burying itself in her chest. She got off a shot of her Peacekeeper, only glancing Bloodhound’s side. There were mere seconds for her to hide while they reloaded and used her pylon to repair the pitiful damage she'd done to their shields. 

Natalie wove through the underside of the building and threw up hasty fences, trying to buy time. A snap behind her made her almost jump out of her skin. 

“Nice shot, go to the second building, I’ll meet you there.” It was Wraith, still battered but healed enough to stand. “You gave me an idea with that little maze of yours.” Whatever her plan was, she didn’t share it before vanishing back into the Void. 

Natalie didn’t wait around to be shot. Her scramble for the other structure took her through the open depression in caves, through the crossfire of other squads. The bullets ripped feet above her head and errant grenades bounced off the cave walls to her level. With a final slide to avoid a frag grenade, she made it to her hiding place and hoped the dark would conceal her. 

Another one of Bloodhounds pings went out, thankfully missing them both. In the midst of her fences, she saw one unformed end of a portal and over her coms she could still hear Wraith and the distinct sound of Bloodhound’s respirator. 

“Looking for me? Here I am.” She snarked, taking a bullet for her gambit. 

Wraith dashed and trailed with the other end of her portal, siding down the hill away from Caves and towards the ring. Believing they had an easy kill, Bloodhound followed, gliding into her now fully formed portal a moment after she did. 

The plan clicked for Natalie and she threw a grenade amongst her fences. Halfway through its flight, Wraith burst out and ducked behind a rock ledge. Bloodhound, however, could not escape Natalie’s fences untouched.  The electro-plasma bars shorted out their shields and overloaded their nerves. With their movements slowed and shields rapidly depleting, they attempted to retreat from where they had come. But Wraith was a step ahead, closing the portal just as Natalie’s grenade rolled against Bloodhound's boot. 

They were engulfed in a cloud of dust and debris, the white-hot fragments shredding their body. Bloodhound never stood a chance. 

Natalie excitedly shook her wrists together and nearly gave away her position with a cheer when she saw her HUD. This was the final fight, all three remaining squads were in these caves and she had Wraith on her side. 

But her celebration was short-lived. Wraith moved towards her position to regroup and plan, but the trip was cut short. Bullets tore through her midsection and an arcstar stuck to her back, felling her in the open, far from her reach. Natalie heard the cocky, low voice of Bangalore. 

The soldier jumped off the ledge and landed just in front of wraith’s writhing body, ready to secure her kill. With a momentary break in the fighting, she took the chance to gloat. Bangalore ripped the Wingman from Wraith’s holster and checked the cylinder. 

“Didn’t see this coming, did you?” She sneered and leveled Wraith’s own weapon at her head. 

To the surprise of friend and foe alike, Wraith laughed, spitting up blood as she did so. 

“Something funny head case?”

“I knew your every move. And so did she.” Wraith gave a cocky rock of her head in Natalie's direction. 

Natalie took her cue, aimed her Peacekeeper, and fired. 

The shot nailed her in the side of the head, cracking her shield and staggering her back. With her remaining strength, Wraith grabbed Bangalore’s ankle and she toppled to the dirt, Wingman skidding from her drip. There was a moment of panic in her eyes, then, the bright blue muzzle flash of an energy shotgun. Only two squads remained.

“Hold on, let me help you!” Natalie cried and rubbed her hands together, generating a charge. 

She placed her hands on Wraith’s chest and with a subtle gesture of her fingers, let the pulse go. It reset her erratic heartbeat and now with only one squad to go, seemingly secured them the win. Yet again, however, Natalie had celebrated prematurely. A distinct yellow grenade landed between the two of them.

“Oh shit.” Was all Wraith got out before it burst into a cloud of green smoke. 

Battered and downed several times, Wraith succumbed to Caustic’s gas in mere moments. As Natalie scrambled away on all fours, she heard Wraith’s coughs and her failed attempts to enter the Void. The most gut-wrenching sound came in the form of fists impacting flesh, and then silence. 

“I’m the new Kill Leader; a foregone conclusion, really.” The gruff voice came through the cloud of smoke and Natalie could make out the hulking outline of Caustic. “Just you and I Ms. Paquette. Perhaps you should have selected a partner more cohesive to yourself. I’d prefer not to harm you, so please surrender yourself.”

She swallowed hard and clutched her shotgun close. They’d always fought together, and she’d seen again and again how devastating he was in the final ring, especially against a defensive opponent like herself. To make matters worse, it was only moments before the Ring would move again, engulfing her first. Maybe that could be her act of defiance, ironically falling to her own creation rather than give him the satisfaction of an honorable win. 

_ I will fight him. I’m going to make you proud Wraith! _ She told herself.

Caustic stalked closer but made a crucial misjudgment. When he cleared the gas, he expected to find Natalie cowering under the building, curled into a ball to await her end. But among the beams and debris, he found nothing but a set of deactivated fences.

“Curious, you’ve chosen to delay the inevitable. Suit yourself, Ms. Paquette.” He huffed and searched for her, EVA shotgun leveled at his waist. 

From atop the structure, Natalie watched him circle around like a shark waiting for blood. He ascended the stairs to the interior, pacing a barrel at the door for good measure. Thanks to her small size, Natalie was silent as she laid new fences on the outside of the building’s three entrances. Each fence matrix was a triangle designed for maximum area denial. Just as she placed her final fence, the Ring began to retract. 

Natalie lept from the building and took cover behind a large boulder, weapon at the ready. Her fences crackled to life and she got to watch the realization wash over Caustic through the scope of a sniper rifle. His head flicked from door to door, trying to puzzle a way out, but without his grenades, he had none. With no other option, he shoved his shoulder against the door, right into a waiting fence. Like Bloodhound, his movements became lethargic as the Ring encroached. Natalie watched him become swallowed up by the Ring as the man she’d once thought of as a mentor was bested by two of her proudest creations. 

Oddly, the match had not ended after he collapsed. Natalie was about to search for his squadmate when she recognized what he must have had. 

“Your self revive kit will not save you, Doctor.” She snapped at him and sprinted to his position before he could begin to pick himself up.

“Please! Have mercy, Ms. Paquette, spare me this death. I am your teacher, your colleague, your friend!” He pleaded.  Natalie looked down her nose at him. In her heart, there was no pity or remorse for him. She was done giving him chances and excuses. And that terrified him. 

Without giving him a word she summoned all the power in her pylon, sizzling the area around them with electricity. Small rocks hovered off the ground, and then, the entire bulk of her final opponent. His green eyes held fear for the first time as he hovered at eye level with her, but she only glared back with the intensity of the warrior she was. A small tap to his face and Caustic exploded into a shower of sparks.

“We have our Apex Champion!” Was the last thing Natalie could coherently remember. From that moment on, she was too energized to think. 

“Wraith! Wraith Wraith Wraith Wraith!” Natalie skidded into the respawn bay, having to grab the door frame so she didn’t overshoot it, her sneakers squealed on the tile. She’d sprinted straight from the Recovery Ship, blowing past reporters and the medical team. The tattered outfit she wore in the Arena was practically still smoking. 

Her squadmate was dressed in the standard-issue clinic sweats and tee-shirt, her body still adjusting to the respawn. It felt like the worst hangover ever on top of still being drunk, enough to make many throw up the first few times. It still left Natalie knocked down for the rest of the day. 

“Hey, Nat. I’m guessing the smile means you won?” She croaked and had to squint against the harsh hospital lights. 

“Yes! I won, I defeated Doctor Caustic with my fences. I-I’ve never won before, and-ah! Oh, this is so exciting I think I might explode!” Natalie was practically vibrating with energy, her mouth going a mile a minute and her hands flailing in exaggerated movements at every word. 

Wraith reached up and laid a hand on her shoulder and gave a soft smile. In that look, she understood everything Natalie was trying to say, all the emotions bursting at the seams. There was an admiration in her eyes that sent Natalie's heart fluttering. 

“That’s great Natalie. I’m proud of you, you more than held your own in there. Your first win is always a rush, especially one as impressive as this.” Her eyes flashed white and her expression changed. When Natalie followed her line of sight, she saw Caustic about to awaken, someone she’d also rather not see right now. “Hey, Natalie, can we go back to your place?” 

Even in her heightened state, Natalie could feel something wrong in Wraith’s voice and see the sluggish way she moved. For now, she chalked it up to respawn fatigue. The box of Wraith’s personal effects was waiting at the door, she wrapped Natalie’s scarf around her neck and slid her bracelets and bracer on, which soothed her just slightly. 

On the quick walk to Natalie’s apartment, she recounted every detail of the final moments of the Match, adding dramatic flares and sound effects as she saw fit. She began to notice the increasingly distant look on Wraith’s face. There was something desperately wrong and Natalie feared it was something she said or did. Wraith had died in the Arena, after all, maybe she should have done more to help her, or revived her further away from the fight. By the time they got to the door, Natalie was stewing over whatever mistake she’d made. 

The moment they passed the threshold, instead of finding Wraith criticizing her performance, Natalie turned around to see Wraith barely holding herself together. Her eyes were watery and bloodshot. The usual pale of her face had run red as she strained to prevent the coming emotions. 

“Wraith? What is wrong?” This was worse than when she’d told Natalie about her past. She was fighting this, something that had been bottled up for a long time. 

“I was supposed to find answers.” Was the last coherent sound out of her mouth. 

Natalie offered her hands, but this time, Wraith took things a step further. She collapsed into Natalie’s arms, wrapping herself tight around her and pressing her face into Natalie’s shoulder. Her forceful sobs shook her chest, each ragged breath jerking her entire body. This wasn’t what she imagined her first hug would be like. The dam had collapsed and everything Wraith had held inside was pouring out.

“There was nothing Nat. Everything I put myself through was to get down there, years of training and pain, all worthless.” She rasped out. “Why can’t I give it all back? N-Nat, you’re smart, please, take it away.” She begged. 

She was falling apart in her arms. Far from stone, Wraith was disintegrating like a sandcastle under the tide of memories. 

“I won't change you Wraith." Natalie swallowed hard and began to stitch together whatever comfort she was capable of. "I can’t imagine how mixed up you must feel ma chiere, to hope what you need is behind every door, and never find answers.” She started, channeling whatever wisdom her Papa had instilled in her and the comfort she’d received in her own darkest hours. 

Wraith took in another pained, sucking breath. 

“But just because you are hurt, doesn’t mean you have to change. I don’t want you to change. That feeling, wishing you were someone else and that you’ll never belong; such a horrible sadness. I understand it, Wraith, I’ve felt it too. Please don’t cry.” This poor, lost soul in her arms had no one but her. And all Natalie felt like was a silly little girl who couldn't even help herself. Yet, somewhere inside herself, she found the spark to help her friend. 

Wraith separated from the embrace, eyes puffy and red, hot tears had soaked her cheeks. 

“I-I should leave. This isn’t your problem, I’m sorry for burdening you again. Sorry for ruining your win.” Her voice strained with the pain she had bottled for so long and her longing to keep it away from Natalie. 

“Non! Please don’t go, I want you to stay. Wraith, all this hurt you feel, you must let it out of you. I don’t want you to hate yourself and I want to help you. Please Wraith, don’t go.” Natalie offered her open arms to her. She wouldn’t chase Wraith, but she would offer the safest place she could. Her heart was thumping with fear. Losing Wraith here would be unbearable, especially if she had even the slightest chance of saving her. 

With a deep breath, Wraith turned back towards her. She tucked her arms against her chest and let Natalie embrace her, this time resting her head on Natalie’s shirt. 

“I-I need to sit down.” Wraith sobbed. 

What Natalie had intended was to sit Wraith on the couch next to her, but after their slow walk over, the woman had slumped over, laying down and dragging Natalie with her. Natalie pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and tossed it over both of them. 

“Thanks.” She mumbled after several long, heaving breaths. 

“Of course, Wraith. I’m here for you. Being like you are, it truly is something else. There’s no one like you and no one can pretend to understand what it is like to have all the possibilities of the universe alive in their heads. I think that a part of your soul is still tied to those worlds, that’s why you find it so hard to belong.” Natalie rubbed Wraith’s upper arm in an attempt to comfort her. “You know how I can be with things, I don’t always fit in either and for a long time, that burned me. You and me, ma chiere, we see the world in a different way, just like they see us as different. I guess you know that. Trying to fit in, that is an illusion created by a stupid world that wants to change you. Please don’t change Wraith. You are a kind and gentle soul, people are too stubborn to give you a chance. I want you to give you a chance too. Like you told me, for the first time you started acting like yourself, and that has been my favorite part of you. I think you could learn to adore that woman too.” Natalie dared to lay a soft kiss on Wraith's shoulder. How long had it been since anyone had shown her affection or just told her it would all be okay? Even at her lowest, Natalie had always had her Papa to hold her and fight away the woes of the world. 

Wraith grabbed Natalie’s hand and held on to it. Time crawled as they lay on the couch, but not for boredom. Natalie would gladly have waited a year for Wraith to begin to feel better. She felt so small against her now, no longer the stocky mass of fury and muscle she was so used to imagining Wraith as. Instead, she found a short, bony woman curled into a tight ball, the bumps of her spine stabbing into Natalie’s sensitive skin. She was cold to the touch except for her tear wet cheeks when she allowed Natalie to wipe them with the corner of the blanket. 

“How do you feel?” Natalie asked when Wraith quieted and stilled

“Empty. I’ve held on to it all for so long. My anger and hate is what kept me going for years; like it was the fire that I needed to move. There’s nothing else in me Natalie, just cold, just the Void. I’m just another fucked up science project who thought she mattered.”

“You do matter. Millions of people cheer for you, they’re inspired by you, not what the IMC wanted you to be. And, you matter to me. You’re one of my best friends Wraith, and even though we haven’t known each other long yet, I don’t want to lose you. People here care about you, I promise.” Natalie brushed some wayward bangs from Wraith’s face. 

She saw the shine of Wraith’s eyes on her hand, the Void within her glowing stronger than Natalie had ever seen it. The Voices must have been deafening. 

“Are they bothering you?” Natalie said in a soft voice, still petting Wraith’s head. She nodded. “Focus on me ma chiere, how about I tell you some fun facts? Or do you want to hear my jokes? No answer? Then jokes it is!” Natalie maintained a cheerful chip in her voice. “A sweater I had kept picking up static electricity, so I brought it back to the store and got a new one free of  _ charge _ ! Get it?” 

Wraith forced a tear clogged laugh. The Void faded from her eyes. 

“Why do capacitors always watch the news? It’s the best way to keep up with  _ current _ events!” 

Natalie felt Wraith’s torso jerk against her with a subtle chuckle. She sniffled loudly, then started to speak. 

“Okay okay, you’ve had your fun. I think anymore will kill me.” Wraith’s voice was still coarse but at the same time, a little playful. She also hadn’t stopped Natalie from stroking her hair. 

“How about I make us some tea?” Natalie’s offer was quickly accepted. 

They’d had their tea in silence sitting at her kitchen table. The only sounds were the occasional surges of the Void around Wraith’s limbs, but that was normal. Or normal for Wraith at least. But Natalie hadn’t minded the silence. One of Wraith’s hands had rested in hers the whole time, not squeezing for dear life, just idly laid in her palm. Natalie swore she could feel energy flow between them, like Wraith was letting Natalie’s warmth into her body.

More than once, she caught Wraith’s eyes on her with an expression on her face that she couldn't interpret. She was studying in her, she got that much, but to what end? 

“Thank you, Natalie. I don’t know...I don’t want to think about what I would’ve done if you weren’t with me.” Wraith mumbled when she finished the last of her tea. “That’s the first time I’ve said any of that out loud. Maybe I always knew I wouldn’t find what I wanted, but that doesn’t matter. It felt...good to get that out there. Maybe being a little more empty isn’t so bad, something else can go there now, something better? I know this isn’t easy for you, so thanks for listening and putting up with me. I’ll be the same for you when you need me. Or, I’ll try at least, I’m not nice like you are.” 

“For what it’s worth, I think you are very nice Wraith. Wraith the friendly ghost...it is fitting I think.” Natalie said with a smile. “I’m going to Mr. Wiit’s bar tonight for my first victory party. It would mean a lot if you came too. Just for a little while. I think it would be good for you too. If the others got to know you like I do, I think they’d love spending time with you too. And they are people who can help you feel better Wraith, many have been through so much too.” It was worth the offer. Natalie went to many post-Match parties and never saw Wraith there, but despite her own social anxieties, she did love to go and spend time with the colorful cast of people she now called friends. 

“I think that might be too much for me Natalie, drinking when I get...like this is a bad idea. If you’re there at last call I might swing by. Go, have fun for both of us.” Wraith sighed. “I’m going to be at the gym for a little while. I need to kick the hell out of something.” 

No matter how sad Natalie was to see her go, in a way, Natalie was glad to see Wraith leave. It meant that she had some steam again, and if she wanted to beat up (hopefully) a punching bag, that was as good an outlet as any. Once Wraith had rinsed her teacup out, something she always insisted on, she surprised Natalie again. This time, right before she left, she wrapped her arms around her and held her tight for a while. It was a hug that didn’t need words, just the radiant warmth from how Wraith held her and the few more damp tears that ran down Wraith’s face. It was the most beautiful ‘thank you’ Natalie had ever received.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wattson’s comfort speech is heavily inspired by ~~straight-up copied~~ the song Illusion by VNV Nation. If you aren’t familiar, I’d highly recommend it. It’s a hauntingly beautiful song that perfectly captures the sadness of trying to help someone who’s lost with the smallest hint of hope at the end. I’d also recommend Nova as the uplifting spiritual sequel.
> 
> Anyways, as always, feedback and kudos are appreciated

**Author's Note:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated.


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